FUTUWWAH USŪL ACADEMY

Noble Character Rooted Revival FUTUWWAH

Noble Character
RECEP ŞENTÜRK
RECEP ŞENTÜRK

COVER ARTWORK BY HATİCE KÜBRA UYAN

FUTUWWAH
Noble Character

Recep Şentürk
© Usul Academy 2022

This book is a revised translation from the Turkish edition by Maria Taiai.

This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved by the Publisher,
whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights
of translation, reprinting, and reuse of illustrations.

This Usul Academy imprint is published by the registered company Usul

Academy US. The registered company address is: 998 N Lombard Rd, Lom-
bard, IL 60148.
 ۢ ‫ق عَظ ٍِيم‬
ٍ ُ ‫ك لَعَلَى خ ُل‬
َ َ ّ ‫و َِإن‬
ٰ
“And verily, you stand exalted to a high and noble character.”

[Qur’an 68:4]
About the Author
RECEP ŞENTÜRK is the Dean of the College of Islamic Studies at Hamad
Bin Khalifa University and the Founding President of Usul Academy.
 Contents

Preface ................................................................................................1
Introduction ........................................................................................4
Futuwwah in the Qur’an and the Sunnah ..........................................8
Multiplex Ethics in the Qur’an ........................................................10
Ethical Values in Al-Sulamī’s Kitāb al-Futuwwah ..........................15
The Forty Rules of Futuwwah .........................................................26
Conclusion: Futuwwah Again ........................................................89
 Abbreviations

AS — ʿalayhi al-salām — peace be upon him

RA — raḍiya-llāhu ʿanh — Allah be pleased with him
 IN THE NAME OF ALLAH, THE MERCIFUL, THE BENEFICENT

Preface

SUCCESS AND HAPPINESS in life depend on two things: knowledge

and character. In other words, to be successful and happy, one needs
not only to be competent in their profession but also to have noble
character and superior morality. An ancient saying states that aca-
demic education (taʿlīm) and moral training (tazkiyah) are the keys to
happiness and success. If one of these elements is missing, a person
is destined to be unsuccessful and unhappy. Sound knowledge and
good character are like the two wings necessary for a bird to fly.

Today, unfortunately, many people tend to prioritize vocational and

academic education over character-building and moral education.
Even if they feel the urge for ethics, they are often confused about
how to pursue character education as they face the following qu-
estions: Which morality? Whose ethics? And whose values? These
questions inadvertently turn ethics into a perplexing political ques-
tion and a power struggle. Consequently, ethics gets conflated into
politics, and people often get lost in the media smoke surrounding it.

In this book, we provide a concise and clear answer to these questi-

ons: the character and morality that we aim for our youth to develop
is futuwwah, which is ingrained in the cultural genes and collective
memory of humanity worldwide. Futuwwah is referred to as chivalry
in the West, and Tao and Bushido in the East. This global moral
commonality has its roots in the ancient ethical legacy of the prop-
hets over centuries, both in the East and the West.

Futuwwah is the altruistic morality that characterized youth for cen-

turies. This altruistic moral understanding started to diminish gradu-
ally in societies in the process of extreme individualism, hedonism,
and secularization with concerted global attempts to undermine,
marginalize and trivialize it. Yet, the attempts to erase futuwwah, chi-
valry, Tao, or Bushido ethics from our collective memory culminated
in the moral crisis into which our world has fallen today.

The Islamic ethical culture during the time of Prophet Muhammad

‫ﷺ‬, the Umayyad and Abbasid periods, but particularly during the
Seljuk and Ottoman periods, testifies to the powerful role of futuwwah
in building noble character. The way of futuwwah is the way of Mus-
lim elders over centuries, including such prominent examples as Ali
(RA), Abū ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ʿAbd Allāh al-Sulamī (d. 692), Junayd
al-Baghdādī (830-910), ʿAbd al-Karīm al-Qushayrī (d. 1072), Ahī
Evran (1169–1261), Ertuğrul Gāzi (d. 1280), Sheikh Edebāli (1206-
1326), Osman Gāzi (1258-1324), Hacı Bektaş-ı Veli (1209-1271),
Mawlānā Jalāl al-Dīn Rūmī (1207-1273), Yunus Emre (1238-1320),
Somuncu Baba (1331–1412), Hacı Bayram-ı Veli (1352–1430), Eş-
refoğlu Rūmī (d. 1469), Fatih Sultan Mehmed (1432-1481), and Aziz
Mahmud Hüdāyi (1541–1628).

The elders and leaders of the futuwwah exist in all regions and cul-
tures but are too numerous to list here. Muslims worldwide have
succeeded in establishing a virtuous society extending from India
to Persia, Arabia, Africa, Anatolia, and the Balkans by sowing the
seeds of futuwwah into the hearts of young people. They have also
produced rich literature on futuwwah in their languages particularly
Arabic, Persian, and Turkish along with other major languages used
by Muslims. Unfortunately, this rich literature and its noble tradition
are almost completely overlooked today in the Muslim world. The
purpose of this small book is to draw attention to this practically
forgotten noble tradition, with the ultimate purpose of reviving it.

In this ancient pedagogy of futuwwah, which is inherited over centu-

ries since the time of Prophet Muhammad ‫ﷺ‬, morality is not about
knowing; it is about being. In other words, what makes a person mo-
ral, ethical, and noble in character is not only knowing what is right
but practicing what is right. This is the futuwwah way which gives
priority to practice instead of theory.

It is now time to revive the futuwwah morality, which has been force-
fully attacked by extremist secularists to erase it from our collective
memory and our cultural genes during the past two centuries. That
is our aim in this humble work.

Our honor is faith; our light is knowledge; our way is futuwwah. Fu-
tuwwah is aiming to become the whole-persons (al-insān al-kāmil) with
noble character as inherited from the Prophets. Futuwwah is the way
our Creator wants us to be for a successful and happy life by combi-
ning sound knowledge with noble character.

Recep Şentürk
July, 2022
Istanbul
 Introduction

Futuwwah is the Arabic term for practical ethics and altruistic mora-
lity embodied in the lives of the prophets, from Adam (AS) to Prop-
het Muhammad ‫ﷺ‬, and their followers in all ages. In the Islamic
tradition, it connotes the most wholesome personality (muruwwah)
and the highest level of morality (makārim al-akhlāq) originating from
the teaching and practice of Prophet Muhammad ‫ﷺ‬.

There are many definitions of futuwwah with reference to its origin,

method, purpose, and key elements. This is how the early Sufi sage
Abū ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Sulamī (325–412 AH/ 937–1021 C.E.) de-
fines it in the introduction to his Kitāb al-Futuwwah:

[O my son], may Allah accord you His pleasure. You asked about
futuwwah. Know that futuwwah means following the ordinances
of perfect devotion, leaving all evil, and attaining in action and
in thought the best of visible and hidden good conduct. Every
condition and every moment demands from you one aspect of
futuwwah. There is no state or time without that demand. There
is futuwwah fit for your behavior toward God, another toward the
Prophet, and others toward his Companions; yet others toward
the pure ones of the past, your shaykh, your brotherhood, and
the two angels on your shoulders who keep the accounting of
your deeds (al-Sulamī, 1991: 36).

Good conduct, ethics and morality are variably defined in different

cultures, religions and civilizations. Futuwwah is rooted in the Islamic
tradition, emanating from the Qur’an and the Sunnah of Prophet
Muhammad ‫ﷺ‬, but applicable to all humankind. Al-Sulamī cla-
rifies his source of their definition as follows: “I shall here describe
some of these and support them by the Sunnah of the Prophet ‫ﷺ‬
and the declarations, actions, conduct, and virtues of our Elders.”
(al-Sulamī 1991: 37).

Futuwwah is often defined solely as ethics for youth. It may be mis-

leading to think that futuwwah means youth because as a concept it
refers to a moral quality rather than age. Futuwwah ethics are not
only for youth but for all ages and walks of life because it is used
synonymously with muruwwah, meaning wholesome personality. Li-
kewise, futuwwah is not only for men but also for women, because
good morality cannot be thought to be exclusively for young men.
In sum, it is a universal morality for all regardless of age and gender.

In the ethics and morality literature, futuwwah has been used with
various meanings:
(1) Applied Ethics and Morality
Futuwwah is used mostly to mean applied ethics derived from the
example of Prophet Muhammad ‫ﷺ‬, previous prophets from Adam
to ʿIsa (AS), Companions (ṣaḥābah) of Prophet Muhammad ‫ ﷺ‬and
all saintly figures (ʾawliyāʾ) in the subsequent generations. There are
books exclusively dedicated to this type of understanding of futuwwah
in Arabic, Persian and Turkish.

(2) A Higher Moral and Spiritual Stage

In some Sufi literature, futuwwah is used to indicate a stage in knowle-
dge, spiritual state and moral qualities reflecting altruistic virtues. For
instance, the early Sufi scholar Abu al-Qāsim al-Qushayrī (376–465
AH/ 986–1072 C.E.) uses futuwwah as one of the qualities a Sufi
must have in his famous al-Risālah al-Qushayrīyah.

(3) Youth Organization

Futuwwah is also used as a name for youth organizations committed
to futuwwah ethics. It emerged at the time of the Abbasids, spread to
Iran and Anatolia and continued until the end of the Ottoman State
in Turkey.
(4) Guilds
Guilds in Islamic civilization were social organizations rooted in Is-
lamic and Sufi principles. Artisans, merchants, and craftsmen, who
adhered to these ethical principles, known as futuwwah, established
guilds, referred to in Turkish as ahîlik (originates from the Arabic
root akh meaning ‘brother’ or from Turkish akı which means ‘gene-
rous’). Ahîlik is a professional guild based on altruistic work ethics
that has existed since the Seljuk period. To become a member in the
Ahî Brotherhood, one had to participate a ceremony that involved
the consumption of a special drink, wearing garments, and com-
mitting to a code of moral and ethical principles delineated in the
“Fütüvvetname.” Members were expected to exhibit loyalty, honesty,
trustworthiness, generosity, and humility, among other virtues, while
abstaining from actions such as alcohol consumption, adultery, dis-
honesty, and gossip. The Ahî Brotherhood played a pivotal role in the
establishment of the Ottoman Empire, with many early rulers and
leaders having ties to the organization.

Our interest in this book is mainly on the first usage of the term
futuwwah, as the applied ethics derived mainly from the Sunnah of
Prophet Muhammad ‫ ﷺ‬and his followers in the subsequent centu-
ries.
 The Seljukī Futuwwah Star
Each end of the eight-pointed Seljukī star, which consists of
two interlocking squares, symbolizes a virtue pertaining to this
world and the hereafter, as well as representing the eight gates of
paradise. (Duggan, 2006: 177)

These virtues include mercy and compassion, patience, truth-

fulness, sincerity, the keeping of secrets and respecting privacy,
loyalty, generosity, and gratitude to Allah ‫ﷻ‬.
 Futuwwah in the Qur’an and the Sunnah

Futuwwah draws its fundamental ethical values from the Qur’an and
the Sunnah. An examination of the Qur’an reveals two different stan-
dards of morality: the minimum standards that are obligatory for
everyone to follow, and the higher standards that are encouraged
for the believers to voluntarily practice. For instance, while one verse
extols and mandates retaliation or retribution (qiṣāṣ), another verse
commends forgiveness without prescribing it as a duty, instead cal-
ling on believers to pardon the wrongdoers of their own volition.

Through a careful grouping of the ethical verses in the Qur’an, we

can discern the presence of multiple layers in Qur’anic ethics and,
consequently, Islamic ethics as a whole. The first level comprises the
minimum ethical standards that revolve around the principles of re-
ciprocity, retaliation, and retribution. These standards are obligatory
for all and can be regarded as the foundational ethical requirements
in the Islamic tradition. The higher levels of ethical behavior, on the
other hand, extend beyond the principles of reciprocity and encom-
pass virtues such as forgiveness and responding to mistreatment with
goodness.

The ethics of futuwwah are rooted in the highest level of ethics, whi-
ch is the ethics of altruism. This ethical framework represents the
pinnacle of the multiplex ethics derived from the Qur’an and the
Sunnah.
 The Futuwwah Tree
Shajarat al-Futuwwah

Source: Manuscript on Majmūʿāt al-Rasāʾil fī al-Taṣawwuf,

Sulaymaniyah Library in Turkey, Ayasofya 2049.
 Multiplex Ethics in the Qur’an

The Qur’anic ethics is multiplex in that one can identify three levels
of ethical behavior:

(1) the ethics of reciprocity (qiṣāṣ),

(2) the ethics of tolerance (ʿafw), and
(3) the ethics of altruism (īthār).

Below, I will illustrate each level with a verse from the Qur’an.

1. THE ETHICS OF RECIPROCITY

This standard sets the minimum criteria for ethical values to serve as
the common ground for all members of society. It provides the foun-
dation for Islamic law and ethics based on reciprocity to be applied
in all areas of life and social relations. It is mandatory for all Muslims
to follow. An example is retaliation:

“And there is life for you in retaliation (retribution, qiṣāṣ).” (The

Qur’an 2: 179).

2. THE ETHICS OF TOLERANCE

This standard calls on believers not to retaliate or reciprocate but to

forgo their rights and forgive wrongdoers. Law is based on recipro-
city and retribution everywhere in the world, and the Qur’an also
acknowledges this. However, at the same time, the Qur’an calls upon
believers to voluntarily go beyond reciprocity and retaliation by for-
giving. Hence, the second level of the Qur’anic ethics is based on to-
lerance and forgiveness. The following verses illustrate the ethics of
tolerance in the Qur’an. These verses acknowledge the legitimacy of
retribution but call for forgiving, reconciliation, waiving one’s rights
and overlooking as more virtuous acts.

And the retribution for an evil act is an evil one like it, but who-
ever pardons and makes reconciliation - his reward is [due] from
Allah. Indeed, He does not like wrongdoers (The Qur’an 42:40).

Waiving [your right] is nearer to godliness, so do not forget to

be generous towards one another: God sees what you do (The
Qur’an 2: 237). But if you pardon and overlook and forgive -
then indeed, Allah is forgiving and merciful (The Qur’an 64: 14).

3. THE ETHICS OF ALTRUISM

This is the highest ethical standard. Altruism is the opposite of the

ethics of reciprocity because it gives priority to the other over one’s
own self. It is considered to be the highest level of ethics, calling be-
lievers to respond to evil with goodness. As I demonstrated above, the
Qur’an calls believers to voluntarily give up retribution by forgiving
and reconciling, but it also calls for an even higher level: responding
to mistreatment with goodness, kindness and generosity. This level
of Qur’anic altruism constitutes the highest level of ethics, which all
prophets, their companions, and the saintly figures embodied.
 Thus the Sunnah is a practical embodiment of the ethics of altruism.
The following verses illustrate how the Qur’an promotes the ethics
of altruism as an alternative to the ethics of reciprocity and tole-
rance by asking believers to respond to evil not with retribution or
forgiveness, but with the best course of action.

Respond to evil with that which is best. We are well aware of

what they describe (The Qur’an 23: 96).

Such people will be given their reward twice, because they obser-
ved patience. And they respond to evil with good and spend from
what We have given to them (The Qur’an 28: 54).

They love those who emigrated to them, and find no hesitation in

their hearts in helping them. They give them priority over them-
selves, even if they themselves are needy (The Qur’an 59: 9).

It is crucial to emphasize that futuwwah ethics cultivates the highest

level of ethics, which is the ethics of altruism. This level of ethics was
practiced by all the prophets and saints, and the Qur’an calls upon
ambitious believers to aspire to it, although it is not mandatory for
everyone to follow.

One may wonder whether these three levels of ethics in the Qur’an
also exist in the aḥādīth (Prophetic sayings, sing. ḥadīth). It is important
to note that the aḥādīth, which expound on the Qur’anic principles,
mirror the three levels of ethics derived from the Qur’an.This is de-
monstrated by al-Sulamī’s book Kitāb al-Futuwwah, as he has collec-
ted the aḥādīth, along with the verses of the Qur’an, that call for the
ethics of altruism.
 ‫فاعلم أن الفتوة هي الموافقة وحسن الطاعة‪،‬‬
‫وترك كل مذموم‪ ،‬وملازمة مكارم الأخلاق ومحاسنها‪،‬‬
‫ظاهرا وباطنا وسرا وعلنا‪،‬‬
‫وكل حال من الأحوال‪ ،‬ووقت من الأوقات‬
‫يطالبك بنوع من الفتوة فلا يخلو حال من الأحوال عن الفتوة‪.‬‬

‫‪LEVELS OF FUTUWWAH‬‬
 Ethical Values in the Kitāb al-Futuwwah

Futuwwah is conformity (muwāfaqah) and excellent obedience,

Abandoning all that is blameworthy,
And embracing noble character and it virtues,
Outwardly and inwardly, secretly and openly,
In every situation and at any given time,
Every circumstance demands a form of futuwwah,
and no circumstance is devoid of it.

Al-Sulami’s book Kitāb al-Futuwwah lists the values of futuwwah and

brings evidence from the Sunnah and from the sayings and practices
of saintly figures from previous generations. Each ḥadīth or saying is
reported with a chain of authorities (isnād), following the practice of
ḥadīth scholars. The following table lists the majority of the futuwwah
values in al-Sulamī’s Kitāb al-Futuwwah, with the original Arabic and
the English translation. This list is not exhaustive, but it effectively
demonstrates how futuwwah emphasizes the ethics of altruism deri-
ved from the Qur’an and the Sunnah.
Ethical Values in
al-Sulamī’s
Kitāb al-Futuwwah
 1

Kindness with friends and meeting their needs

‫اﻟﻤﻼطﻔﺔ ﻣﻊ اﻻﺧﻮان و اﻟﻘﯿﺎم ﺑﺤﻮاﺋﺠﮭﻢ‬

Responding to cruelty with generosity and

abandoning retaliation against evil
‫ وﺗﺮك اﻟﻤﻜﺎﻓﺄة ﻋﻠﻰاﻟﻘﺒﯿﺢ‬،‫ﻣﻘﺎﺑﻠﺔ اﻹﺳﺎءة ﺑﺎﻹﺣﺴﺎن‬

Not searching for the failures of friends

‫ﺗﺮك طﻠﺐ ﻋﺜﺮات اﻹﺧﻮان‬

Being sociable with friends

‫اﻟﺘﺂﻟﻒ ﻣﻊ اﻹﺧﻮان‬

Being generous
‫اﻟﺴﺨﺎوة‬
 6

Maintaining old friendships

‫ﺣﻔﻆ اﻟﻮد اﻟﻘﺪﯾﻢ‬

Going along with friends if it is not a sin

‫اﻟﻤﺪاراة ﻣﻊ اﻹﺧﻮان ﻣﺎ ﻟﻢ ﺗﻜﻦ ﻣﻌﺼﯿﺔ‬

Letting your friends use your property

as if it is their own
‫أن ﯾﻤﻜﻦ إﺧﻮانه أن ﯾﺤﻜﻤﻮا ﻓﻲ ﻣﺎله ﻛﺤﻜﻤﮭﻢ ﻓﻲ أﻣﻮاﻟﮭﻢ‬

Loving hospitality and giving feasts

‫ﻣﺤﺒﺔ اﻟﻘﺮى واﻟﻀﯿﺎﻓﺔ‬

10

Honoring friends and acting for them

‫ﺗﻌﻈﯿﻢ اﻹﺧﻮان واﻟﺤﺮﻛﺔ ﻟﮭﻢ‬
 11

Being righteous
‫اﺳﺘﻘﺎﻣﺔ اﻷﺣﻮال‬

12

Compassion to friends and consolation

‫اﻟﺸﻔﻘﺔ ﻋﻠﻰ اﻹﺧﻮان واﻟﻤﻮاﺳﺎة ﻣﻌﮭﻢ‬

13

Loving, visiting and communicating with one another

for the sake of Allah
‫ واﻟﺘﻮاﺻﻞ‬،‫اﻟﺘﺤﺒﺐ واﻟﺘﺰاور ﻓﻲ الله‬

14

Truthfulness in speech and honesty

‫ وأداء اﻷﻣﺎﻧﺔ‬،‫ﺻﺪق اﻟﺤﺪﯾﺚ‬

15

Seeing as your real wealth what you have given away,

not what you have kept
‫ ﻻ ﻣﺎ أمسكه‬،‫أن ﯾﺮى أن اﻟﺒﺎﻗﻲ ﻣﻦ ﻣﺎله ﻣﺎ ﺑﺬله‬
 16

Enjoyable companionship, humor with friends

and cheerfulness with them
‫ واﻟﺒﺸﺮ ﻣﻌﮭﻢ‬،‫ واﻟﻤﻼﻋﺒﺔ ﻣﻊ اﻹﺧﻮان‬،‫ﺣﺴﻦ اﻟﻌﺸﺮة‬

17

Continuous repentance and the correcting of faults with strong

determination not to repeat them again
‫ﻣﻼزﻣﺔ اﻟﺘﻮﺑﺔ وﺗﺼﺤﯿﺤﮭﺎ ﺑﺼﺤﺔ اﻟﻌﺰم ﻋﻠﻰ ﺗﺮك اﻟﻌﻮد إﻟﻰ ﻣﺎ منه ﺗﺎب‬

18

Not reprimanding friends for their faux pas and

asking forgiveness for them from God
‫أن ﻻ ﺗﻌﺎﺗﺐ إﺧﻮاﻧﻚ ﻋﻨﺪ زﻻﺗﮭﻢ وأن ﺗﺘﻮب ﻋﻨﮭﻢ إذا أذﻧﺒﻮا‬

19

Agreeing with friends on everything

and not disagreeing with them
‫ﻣﻮاﻓﻘﺔ اﻹﺧﻮان ﻋﻠﻰ اﻟﺠﻤﻠﺔ وﺗﺮك اﻟﺨﻼف ﻋﻠﯿﮭﻢ‬

20

Serving the needs and interests of people

while keeping the etiquette of worship
‫اﻟﻘﯿﺎم ﺑﻤﻨﺎﻓﻊ اﻟﺨﻠﻖ ﻣﻊ ﺣﻔﻆ آداب اﻟﻌﺒﻮدﯾﺔ‬
 21

Maintaining inner and outer piety

ً‫ﺣﻔﻆ اﻟﻮرع ظﺎھﺮا ً أو ﺑﺎطﻨﺎ‬

22

Forgiving even when one has power to punish

‫اﻟﻌﻔﻮ ﻋﻨﺪ اﻟﻘﺪرة‬

23

Concentrating on one’s own faults

rather than the faults of others
‫أن ﻻ ﺗﻌﺎﺗﺐ إﺧﻮاﻧﻚ ﻋﻨﺪ زﻻﺗﮭﻢ وأن ﺗﺘﻮب ﻋﻨﮭﻢ إذا أذﻧﺒﻮا‬

24

Giving the benefit of doubt to others

‫ﺣﺴﻦ اﻟﻈﻦ ﺑﺎﻟﺨﻠﻖ‬

25

Giving advice to friends generously while knowing that

one’s own self has the same faults
‫ﺑﺬل اﻟﻨﺼﯿﺤﺔ ﻟﻺﺧﻮان واﻟﻌﻠﻢ ﺑﻨﻘﺼﺎن نفسه ﻓﻲ ﺗﺮك ﻣﺎ ﯾﻨﺼﺤﮭﻢ به‬
 26

Patiently enduring hurtful actions from friends

for the sake of Allah
‫اﺣﺘﻤﺎل اﻷذى ﻓﻲ الله‬

27

Leave fawning and compromise [of values]

in all circumstances
‫ﺗﺮك اﻟﻤﺪاھﻨﺔ ﻓﻲ ﻛﻞ اﻷﺣﻮال‬

28

Being loyal and truthful all the time

‫ﻣﻼزﻣﺔ اﻟﺼﺪق‬

29

Compassion for all creatures in all conditions

‫اﻟﺸﻔﻘﺔ ﻋﻠﻰ اﻟﺨﻠﻖ ﻓﻲ ﻛﻞ اﻷﺣﻮال‬

30

Not changing one’s relations for one another

for worldly reasons
‫أن ﻻ ﯾﺘﻐﯿﺮ ﻷخيه ﺑﺴﺒﺐ ﻣﻦ أﺳﺒﺎب اﻟﺪﻧﯿﺎ‬
 31

Making the right start to realize the goal at the end

‫ﺗﺼﺤﯿﺢ ﻣﺒﺎدئ اﻷﺣﻮال ﻟﯿﺘﻢ ﻟﻚ ﺗﺤﻘﯿﻖ اﻟﻨﮭﺎﯾﺎت‬

32

Carpe diem. Live in the moment

‫أن ﻻ ﯾﮭﺘﻢ اﻟﻌﺒﺪ ﻓﻲ وﻗﺖ إﻻ ﻟﻮقته‬

33

Practicing kindness in morality

‫اﺳﺘﻌﻤﺎل اﻟﺘﻈﺮف ﻓﻲ اﻷﺧﻼق‬

34

Preferring the comfort of one’s friends

to one’s own and enduring hardship for them
‫أن ﯾﺆﺛﺮ إﺧﻮانه ﺑﺎﻟﺮاﺣﺎت وﯾﺤﻤﻞ ﻋﻨﮭﻢ اﻟﻤﺸﻘﺎت‬

35

Patience in social relations and contentment with the minimum

of it
‫اﻟﺼﺒﺮ ﻋﻠﻰ ﻣﻌﺎﺷﺮة اﻟﺨﻠﻖ واﻻﻛﺘﻔﺎء ﻟﻤﻦ ﻻﺑﺪ منه‬
 36

Being humble and avoiding snobbishness with friends

‫اﻟﺘﻮاﺿﻊ وﺗﺮك اﻟﺘﻜﺒﺮ ﻣﻊ اﻹﺧﻮان‬

37

Not being disrespectful to anyone

‫أن ﻻ ﯾﺰدري ﺑﺄﺣﺪ ﻣﻦ اﻟﺨﻠﻖ‬

38

Refraining from jealousy

‫ﻣﺠﺎﻧﺒﺔ اﻟﺤﺴﺪ‬

39

Spending on friends
‫اﻹﻧﻔﺎق ﻋﻠﻰ اﻹﺧﻮان‬

40

Never neglecting friends at any time

‫أن ﻻ ﯾﻐﻔﻞ ﻋﻦ إﺧﻮانه ﻓﻲ وﻗﺖ ﻣﻦ اﻷوﻗﺎت‬
 41

Happiness when meeting friends

‫اﻟﺴﺮور ﺑﻠﻘﺎء اﻹﺧﻮان‬

42

Offering help before getting asked

‫اﻻﺑﺘﺪاء ﺑﺎﻟﺼﻨﯿﻌﺔ ﻗﺒﻞ اﻟﻤﺴﺄﻟﺔ‬

43

Refraining from anger completely

‫أن ﯾﺠﺘﻨﺐ اﻹﻧﺴﺎن اﻟﻐﻀﺐ ﺟﻤﻠﺔ‬

44

Protecting neighbors and maintaining good neighborliness

‫ﺣﻔﻆ اﻟﺠﺎر واﻟﻤﺠﺎورة‬

45

Generosity to everyone
ً‫إﻛﺮام اﻟﻨﺎس ﺟﻤﯿﻌﺎ‬
 46

Not criticizing the food offered to one

‫ﺗﺮك اﻟﻌﯿﺐ ﻋﻠﻰ طﻌﺎم ﯾﻘﺪم إليه‬

47

Loving the poor and the stranger and being kind to them
‫ﻣﺤﺒﺔ اﻟﻐﺮﺑﺎء وﺣﺴﻦ ﺗﻌﺪھﻢ‬

48

Trusting Allah with regard to livelihood

‫اﻟﺜﻘﺔ ﺑﻀﻤﺎن الله ﺗﻌﺎﻟﻰ ﻓﻲ اﻟﺮزق‬

49

Do unto others what you want them to do unto to you

‫أن ﺗﻌﺎﻣﻞ اﻟﻨﺎس ﻋﻠﻰ ﺣﺴﺐ ﻣﺎ ﺗﺤﺐ أن ﯾﻌﺎﻣﻠﻮك به‬

50

Forgetting the favors you did to your friends

‫أن ﺗﻨﺴﻰ ﻣﻌﺮوﻓﻚ ﻋﻨﺪ إﺧﻮاﻧﻚ‬
 51

Visiting friends’ homes without waiting to be invited

‫ﺣﻀﻮر دار ﻣﻦ ﯾﺜﻖ به ﻣﻦ اﻹﺧﻮان ﻣﻦ ﻏﯿﺮ دﻋﻮة‬

52

Helping friends and going along with them

‫اﻟﻤﺴﺎﻋﺪة ﻣﻊ اﻹﺧﻮان وﻣﻮاﻓﻘﺘﮭﻢ‬
The list above provides a thorough overview of futuwwah values,
comprising almost all the ethical values that al-Sulamī discusses in
his renowned work, the Kitāb al-Futuwwah. These values epitomize
the significance of altruism in futuwwah and emphasize the impor-
tance of doing good even to those who mistreat us, as well as giving
priority to our friends over ourselves.

Today, there is much we can learn from the tradition of futuwwah

ethics—ethics that have gone into decline during the period of mo-
dernization and secularization in the Muslim world. Currently, there
is a growing interest in publishing forgotten old manuscripts of fu-
tuwwah, which serve as a reminder that a code of ethical behavior
derived from the Qur’an and the Sunnah once existed in the Muslim
world. Now, the next step is to revive the tradition of futuwwah as a
living ethics, particularly among the youth, to offer an alternative to
current approaches to ethics.
 The Forty Rules of Futuwwah

In this section, we aim to distill the essence of futuwwah ethics and its
fundamental principles found in al-Sulamī’s Kitāb al-Futuwwah and
other related texts. We will also provide practical examples of how
these principles can be implemented in our daily lives, with the ulti-
mate aim of cultivating a comprehensive understanding of futuwwah
and its significance in the contemporary world.
 1
See everyone as your brother and
treat them accordingly.
A person who is adorned with futuwwah ethics is called fatā, yāren
or ahî. While the term fatā means a young man in Arabic, it is best
translated in the context of futuwwah as “virtuous young person” or
“honorable young person.” In this context, youth is not only a physi-
cal quality but mostly a moral one. In other words, the term fatā can
be attributed to any person who keeps his morality up and alive in all
circumstances. Therefore, ethical behavior in youth is not restricted
by age and gender. Instead, the main distinguishing characteristic of
futuwwah ethics is that it goes beyond the minimum moral and legal
principles which are based on reciprocity and invites people to volun-
tarily follow the most virtuous way based on sacrifice and altruism.
This is all done within a spirit of friendship and brotherhood in social
relations.
LEVELS OF BROTHERHOOD

There are three levels of brotherhood among human beings. These

levels are (1) brotherhood in Ādamiyyah, (2) brotherhood in Ibrāhīmiy-
yah, and (3) brotherhood in Muhammadiyyah.
 Brotherhood in Ādamiyyah
Allah ‫ ﷻ‬fashioned the human body from clay and imbued it with
a precious spirit from Himself. This divine process of creation was
bestowed upon the first human beings, our forefathers Adam and
Eve, and all subsequent human beings are considered their children,
constituting a brotherhood in clay (ukhuwwah fi al-ṭīn).

Brotherhood in Ibrāhīmiyyah
It is for this reason that there exists a spiritual affinity among the
descendants of Prophet Abraham (AS) as they all adhere to the prin-
ciples of monotheism. These descendants include the likes of Prop-
het Moses (AS), Prophet Jesus (AS), and Prophet Muhammad ‫ﷺ‬,
who propagated the message of Allah ‫ﷻ‬. As descendants of Prophet
Abraham (AS), these three great Prophets are regarded as brothers,
giving rise to a special bond between Muslims and the People of the
Book, that is, Christians and Jews who received divine revelation be-
fore the time of Prophet Muhammad ‫ﷺ‬.

Looking back in history, the Ottoman era stands out as a significant

period when peaceful coexistence among different communities was
prevalent, particularly in Ottoman Jerusalem. Muslims, Christians,
and Jews lived together in harmony in this city under the Ottoman
rule. After the Ottoman conquest of Jerusalem in 1516 by Yavuz
Sultan Selim, one of the first things the sultan did was to lift the bans
imposed by the previous rulers and invite Jews to settle in the city.
During the Ottoman era, it was customary for the administration to
inscribe the declaration of Islamic faith, “lā ilāha illa Allah, Muhamma-
dun rasūl Allah” (There is no deity but Allah, and Muhammad is the
messenger of Allah) on the gates of cities. However, in recognition
of Jerusalem’s significance as a holy city for all Abrahamic religions,
Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent made an exceptional decision. He
ordered the words “lā ilāha illa Allah, Ibrāhīm khalīl Allah” (There is no
deity but Allah and Ibrāhīm is the friend of Allah) to be inscribed on
the Al-Khalil (Jaffa) gate of Jerusalem. This inscription emphasized
the common father of the three religions and showed concern for the
Jews and Christians living in the city. The inscription did not cause
any discomfort to anyone passing through the gate, and the spirit of
tolerance and respect was reflected in the social life of the city.

The inscription on the Jaffa gate of Jerusalem

(Lā ilāha illa Allah, Ibrāhīm khalīl Allah)

Brotherhood in Muhammadiyyah
In the Qur’an, Allah ‫ ﷻ‬has proclaimed that all believers who follow
Prophet Muhammad’s ‫ ﷺ‬footsteps are bound by a brotherhood in
religion that is distinct from, and superior to, blood ties. Believers
who feed on the Qur’an and the Sunnah are like brothers who are
breastfed from the same spiritual breast. The codes of their spiritual
genetics are the same. Therefore, the brotherhood in Muhammadiyyah
is much more special than both the brotherhood in Ādamiyyah and
the brotherhood in Ibrāhīmiyyah.

Much like our biological brothers, we are obligated to fulfill certain

rights and duties towards our spiritual brothers. These rights of bro-
therhood arise among individuals who interact, converse, engage in
commerce, or form friendships. In the context of spiritual brotherho-
od, the nature of these rights and responsibilities varies in accordance
with the three aforementioned levels.

Furthermore, there are certain rights that are exclusive to “special

brotherhood,” which originated during the early years of the Medina
period when the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬and Allah ‫ ﷻ‬declared the Muslims who
migrated from Mecca (muhājirūn) and the Muslims of Medina (anṣār)
as brothers to one another. The concept of brotherhood in futuwwah
ethics is founded upon this special brotherhood, which was inherited
from the formative period of the Muslim Ummah. The adherents of
futuwwah seek to emulate the spirit of the Anṣār, who received the mig-
rants of Mecca with the utmost altruism. This is best exemplified in
the following verse of the Qur’an:

“And [also for] those who were settled in al-Madinah and [adop-
ted] the faith before them. They love those who emigrated to
them and find not any want in their breasts of what the emig-
rants were given but give [them] preference over themselves,
even though they are in privation. And whoever is protected from
the stinginess of his soul - it is those who will be the successful.”
(Qur’an 59:9).
By adhering to the principles of futuwwah ethics, we are encouraged
to interact with others in a manner that embodies the spirit of the
special brotherhood inherited from the Medina period. Therefore, it
is crucial that we follow the path of futuwwah and treat those around
us with the same altruistic attitude demonstrated by the Anṣār towards
the migrants of Mecca.
 2
Follow the straight path in abundance and
distress, in ease and hardship.

Jabir bin ’Abdullah (RA) said: “We were with the Prophet ‫ﷺ‬,
and he drew a line (in the sand), then he drew two lines to its
right and two to its left. Then he put his hand on the middle
line and said: ’This is the path of Allah.” Then he recited the
Verse: “And verily, this (i.e. Allah’s Commandments) is My stra-
ight path, so follow it and follow not (other) paths, for they will
separate you from His path...”

One of the distinguishing characteristics of Muslims is that they

follow “the straight path” (al-ṣirāt al musṭaqīm). One of the practical
consequences of following the straight path is being honest, reliable,
and truthful. The sum of these virtues is called amānah, i.e. trustwort-
hiness. Amānah comes before īmān (i.e. faith) because the Prophet ‫ﷺ‬
was known as al-amīn (the trustworthy person) before he was given
prophecy. Hence, Prophet Muhammad’s followers should also have
the virtue of amānah by being reliable and truthful. He who does
not have the attribute of amānah does not have the attribute of īmān
because these two virtues go together. Another practical consequen-
ce of following the right path is being just. In the Qur’an, Allah ‫ﷻ‬
commands believers to be just toward everyone. The importance of
this virtue is emphasized in the science of ḥadīth according to which
it is not permissible to take ḥadīth from people who do not have the
attribute of justice. Therefore, one of the most important criteria for
assessing whether or not a person is on the straight path is whether
he has amānah and justice.

However, following the right path in all circumstances is not as easy

as it seems. Being good and doing good actions is not challenging
in times of abundance and ease. It is in difficult times that people’s
righteousness is tested. This is especially the case when there is a
conflict of interest. In addition, a person’s constant and proper
worship may not be an indication that they will remain on the straight
path in his social life and relationships. It is in our social relationships
that our adherence to the straight path or true taqwā is manifested
because there are conflicts of interest and power in relationships
with other people. So in both cases, doing the right action, even if
it is against one’s self-interest, requires an inner struggle. Defeating
the enemy requires knowing them in the first place. The question is:
who is the inner enemy that is always trying to take us away from
following the straight path?

The biggest obstacle that hinders people from acting righteously is

their nafs and shaytān. The nafs and the shaytān incite people to follow
their selfish desires. In such cases, one has to struggle with their nafs
and shaytān to remain on the straight path. In order to remain on the
straight path, it is necessary to always be vigilant against all inner
and outer temptations, especially in times of distress and difficulties.
The Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬called this internal struggle against the lower self
as the greatest jihād (al-jihād al-akbar) because it requires patience and
self-sacrifice. It is also important to remember that religiosity by itself
is not a guarantee of a complete victory over the nafs. People can
sometimes be defeated in this struggle, no matter how religious they
are. This is illustrated in the following conversation between Umar
(RA) and his companions:

One day, Umar (RA) asked his friends for their opinions about a
person. They said that the person in question performs his pra-
yers properly and fasts. Thereupon, Umar (RA) made the fol-
lowing concise statement: “Do not let a person’s prayer and fas-
ting deceive you! Have you had a business transaction with this
person? Have you traveled with him?”

As such, while external acts of worship give us a general idea about

a person, the real character of people is mostly revealed at those mo-
ments when there is a conflict of interest and power relations such as
doing a business transaction with someone and traveling with them.

Futuwwah aims at reaching the highest levels in morality and condu-

ct. As such, people of futuwwah are always vigilant to act based on
righteousness no matter what their conditions are. They always walk
along the straight path, and they are adorned with the virtues of
amānah and justice.
 3
Serve all creatures with kindness,
compassion, and mercy with the intention of
worshipping Allah.

It is narrated that Abdullah b. Jaafar went to one of his farms

and came across a young servant who was being offered food.
When the servant was about to eat his meal, a dog approached
him. The servant shared a portion of his food with the dog
once, twice, and thrice until he did not have any food left. See-
ing this, Abdullah b. Jaafar asked: “Oh servant, how much food
do you get every day?” The servant said: “As much as you saw.”
Abdullah said: “Then why did you share most of it with the dog
instead of keeping it for yourself ?” The servant said: “We do
not have dogs in the area. So it seems that the dog came from a
distance and must be very hungry. I could not turn him back.”
Abdullah b. Jaafar said: “So what will you do today without any
more food?” The servant said: “I will be patient.” Hearing this,
Abdullah b. Jaafar said: “People tell me that I am generous. By
Allah, this young servant is much more generous than me,” and
he bought the farm, set the servant free, and gave him the farm
as a gift.
Service is the cornerstone of futuwwah, and the prerequisite of servi-
ce is love. Service without love has no value. Love must be inclusive
of Allah ‫ ﷻ‬and all of creation without exception, it must be uncon-
ditional, and it must also be sincere. The indicator and evidence of
sincere love is service: service to Allah ‫ﷻ‬, to His Messenger, to His
Book, to Muslims and to the entire Ummah. However, service should
not be limited to humanity only, but should encompass all creatures
including animals and plants. If service is an indicator of sincere
love, then how do we know that service is sincere?

Service has its ādāb (etiquette). When these ādāb are observed, service
is sincere. The eleven most important ādāb of service are:

1. Doing it without belittling the person served.

2. Doing it without arrogance.
3. Doing it with sincerity: only for the sake of Allah ‫ﷻ‬.
4. Seeing the service as the right of the needy.
5. Not expecting anything in return.
6. Doing it with the intention of worship.
7. Not thinking about it later.
8. Not doing it to show off.
9. Forgetting the good one has done.
10. Thanking Allah ‫ ﷻ‬for granting him the opportunity to serve.
11. Asking for forgiveness for not being able to render a better ser-
vice.

The fatā is like a tree. Allah ‫ ﷻ‬decides what fruit the tree will bear
and who will eat it. Allah ‫ ﷻ‬also decides who will be shaded under
the shade of that tree. Therefore, a person who serves others should
see himself as a means of Allah ‫ ﷻ‬and should not attribute to him-
self any agency. On the contrary, he should thank Allah ‫ ﷻ‬for gi-
ving him the opportunity to serve others.

Keeping up these ādāb and avoiding any attribution of personal

agency are not easy. This is the reason why service is the most basic
method of moral education. By serving others, one is freed from all
vices and is healed from all diseases of the heart. Service purifies
people from all bad habits and personality diseases such as pride, ar-
rogance, envy, selfishness, and vengeance. Thanks to service, humi-
lity replaces arrogance, sharing replaces selfishness, and forgiveness
and iḥsān replace revenge. For this reason, people of service quickly
progress and evolve spiritually.

When the person who is serving is doubtful about his sincerity, he

should take refuge in Allah ‫ ﷻ‬and asks Him for protection from
falling into hypocrisy and showing off.
 4
Treat others as you want them to treat you or
even better.

Wabisah bin Ma’bad (RA) said: ‘I went to the Messenger of

Allah ‫ ﷺ‬and he asked me: “Have you come to inquire about
piety?” I replied in the affirmative. Then he said: “Ask your he-
art regarding it. Piety is that which contents the soul and com-
forts the heart, and sin is that which causes doubts and perturbs
the heart, even if people pronounce it lawful and give you ver-
dicts on such matters again and again.”

Treating others as you would like to be treated is a universal moral

norm. The concept of futuwwah expands on this principle by advoca-
ting for the treatment of others in a manner that goes beyond mere
reciprocity. According to this perspective, we should not only treat
others as we wish to be treated but aim to treat them even better
than we would expect to be treated ourselves. This is because the
goal of moral behavior is to foster mutual happiness and satisfaction
in relationships.

We all desire to be treated well, and when someone treats us with

kindness, it brings us happiness. Conversely, when we are treated
badly, it makes us feel sad. This emotional response is a useful indi-
cator for determining whether an action is right or wrong.

The rule is very simple: if an action brings about positive emotions

in oneself, then one should aim to perform similar actions towards
others. Conversely, if an action brings about negative feelings, one
should refrain from performing similar actions towards others. This
approach utilizes empathy and sympathy as standards for determi-
ning the morality of an action, as long as it aligns with religious
permissibility (mubāḥ).

Sympathy can be employed as a standard to evaluate one’s own fe-

elings, while emphaty enables us to understand others’ feelings by
putting ourselves in their shoes. Through empathy and sympathy, it
becomes possible to anticipate the consequences of certain actions
or behaviors. In situations where it is difficult to distinguish betwe-
en the proper and improper treatment, relying on one’s feelings or
the feelings of others can provide guidance in decision-making. This
approach is frequently employed in various moral teachings, inclu-
ding the futuwwah ethics. Such an approach also provides guidance
on how to apply moral rules to private and subjective situations. As
we can see in the ḥadīth, the satisfaction or discomfort of a person in
the face of a behavior is a subjective state.

JUSTICE OR LOVE?

Contemporary scholars, including John Rawls, Robert Nozick, Mic-

hael Sandel, Thomas Pogge, and Michael Boylan, have argued that
justice is the ideal governing principle for society. These scholars
have long debated the definition of justice and how to establish a
just society, leading some to believe that achieving justice is near-
ly utopian. It is worth noting that in the Islamic worldview, justice
was seen as a minimum necessity for a good society that could be
achieved through the implementation of divine law, the Shari’ah.
Love, on the other hand, is viewed as the highest organizing princip-
le for society. This is beautifully expressed by Kinalizâde Ali (1510-
1572), an Ottoman jurist and scholar, in his Ahlâk-ı Alâî:

It has become apparent that humans need to live together and in-
teract with each other in order to achieve order in their lives and
attain happiness and perfection. However, living together and in-
teracting with others also brings about conflicts and opposition.
There are two ways to prevent this: The first way is to establish
justice and uphold the laws of governance and authority. This
path is for the general public and includes all classes and groups
of society. The second way is the path of love, which is specific
to elites (khawās) and notable people (aʿyān). Since it is difficult
for the majority of people to love each other, the path of love is
more suitable for specific groups. If a group follows the path of
love, there is no need for the path of justice. Justice is necessary
because everyone wants to obtain what they desire, which can
lead to conflicts and disputes. From the pursuit of desires, confli-
cts arise. Love entails sacrificing willingly (īthār) when the beloved
wants something, and even wishing it for the beloved more than
for oneself.

The wise say that love is superior to justice. Love is similar to

natural unity, while justice is similar to artificial unity. Beware,
that natural should not be like artificial! Furthermore, love leads
to unity and the elimination of duality. Justice, however, comes
 after the realization of duality because justice is fairness (insaf),
and fairness is derived from the word ‘half ’ (nisf), which means
taking one half for oneself and giving the other half to the other.
Sharing halves occurs when there is duality. When unity is achie-
ved through love, what need is there for the rules of duality, and
what benefit do they bring? The wise men say that the existence
and continuity of all things depend on love.

Love requires unity and eliminates dualism, whereas justice is

only established after dualism is already present. Love necessi-
tates unity and mutual support, while justice is only required af-
ter mutual support has been established. Thus, it is said that the
well-being and continuation of all things is dependent on love.
(Kinalizade, 2007: 418-420)

Love, as stated by Kinalizâde, is the highest organizing principle for

society and the ultimate goal of moral behavior. While justice is ne-
cessary for maintaining order in society and for resolving conflicts,
it is it is only a minimum requirement, not the ultimate ideal. By
treating others not only as we wish to be treated but also with a hi-
gher standard of love and empathy, as futuwwah ethics suggests, we
can cultivate a society that is not only just but also loving, which is
the cause of natural real unity in society. In conclusion, let us aim to
treat others with a higher standard of love and empathy that fosters
mutual happiness and satisfaction in relationships.
 5
Love for your friends that which you love for
yourself.

It is narrated that Al Surri met a nobleman and greeted him

coldheartedly. Seeing this, the people told him with surprise:
“This person is a nobleman!” He said: “I know, but I heard that
the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬said: if two Muslims meet each other, a hund-
red parts of mercy are shared between them, and Ninety of
them are reserved for the most cheerful of them. So, I wanted
the nobleman to get most of the mercy.”

Love for others that which you love for yourself and do not love for
others that which you do not love for yourself is a universal moral
rule. If one applies this rule in his life, he will have good morality even
if he has not received any moral training. By applying this principle,
one eliminates jealousy from the heart. Jealousy is a blameworthy
quality whereby a person wishes for the deprivation of a blessing or
merit possessed by another person, and desires to have that blessing
or merit exclusively for oneself. People of futuwwah cannot be jealous
because they love for others what they love for themselves.

Since the most precious blessings for a Muslim are maʿrifatullah and
īmān, the people of futuwwah want all people to know Allah ‫ ﷻ‬and
to have the blessing of īmān. They want all people to be happy in this
world and in the Hereafter. Our beloved Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬said: “None
amongst you truly believes until he loves for his brother that which
he loves for himself.” In this ḥadīth, a connection has been established
between true belief and moving away from an egocentric understan-
ding of life. Selfish people consider themselves superior to others and
want other people to be deprived of Allah’s blessings. Those people
have not attained true īmān.

A person who truly believes in Allah ‫ ﷻ‬is one who wants other peop-
le to be happy in this life, to worship Allah ‫ﷻ‬, and to go to paradise.
This is the way of futuwwah.
 6
Give priority to your friends’ needs over
yours.

Futuwwah ethics are not based on reciprocity, but on altruism and

sacrifice. This is also reflected in the way friendship relationships are
formed among people. In his book Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn, and more spe-
cifically in the Chapter of Friendship, Imam al-Ghazālī states that
there are three levels of friendship: friendship based on selfishness,
friendship based on reciprocity, and friendship based on altruism.

At its lowest level, friendship is based on selfishness. At this level, the

person prioritizes his own needs over the needs of his friends. If one
has limited resources, he would use them to meet his needs first and
then those of his friends.

At a higher level, friendship is based on reciprocity. At this level, one

gives equal importance to his needs and those of his friends. If one
has limited resources, they would share them equally with their frien-
ds. This level is illustrated in the following story:

One day, a man came to Abu Hurayra and said: “I would like to
become your spiritual brother for the sake of Allah ‫ ”ﷻ‬Abu Hu-
rayra said: “Do you know what the right of brotherhood is?” The
man said: “Please inform me about it”. Abu Hurayra said: “It is
 that you do not see yourself as deserving to use your possessions
more than I do.” The man said: “I am sorry, I have not reached
that level yet.

At its highest level, friendship is based on altruism. At this level, one

gives priority to his friends’ needs. If one has limited resources, he
would use them to meet his friends’ needs first. It is this altruistic spi-
rit that characterizes futuwwah ethics, as it has been prevalent among
Prophets, saints, and Sufis, as can be seen in the following story:

Abdullah b. Umar (RA) narrated that one day, someone offered

some meat to one of the Prophet’s companions, and the latter
said: “Let me send it to my friend, for he needs it more than I
do.” When his friend received it, he said: “Let me send it to my
friend, for he needs it more than I do.” The meat kept circulating
among seven friends until it eventually came back to the very first
person who received it.

Attaining higher levels of friendship is a sign of spiritual and moral

progress. A person who prioritizes meeting the needs of their friends
before their own has overcome selfishness and has broken the idol of
the self or the ego. Such a person has an altruistic character and has
internalized the virtue of īthār and altruistic morality. At the societal
level, a society that embraces this understanding of morality and
friendship is characterized by a culture of sharing and sacrifice rather
than individualism and selfishness. In such a society, people naturally
tend to work for the common good and promote the well-being of
others. Consequently, the collective is strengthened, and the bonds
of friendship are fortified, leading to a harmonious and prosperous
community. Thus, the pursuit of higher levels of friendship is not only
a means of personal growth but also a way to contribute to the well-
being of society.

This approach stands in contrast to liberal capitalist ethics, which

prioritizes the autonomy of the individual and idolizes individual
interests. Liberal ethics encourages people to pursue their own self-
interest and maximize their personal gains. In this view, individuals
are seen as rational, self-interested actors who are best equipped to
make decisions about their own lives, and the role of the government
is limited to protecting their rights and ensuring a fair competition
environment. As a result, liberal capitalist societies tend to prioritize
economic growth and the accumulation of wealth, often at the expense
of social welfare and environmental sustainability.

How is the situation nowadays? With the widespread adoption of libe-

ral ethics, our understanding of friendship has unfortunately declined
to levels that fall short of even the lowest level that Imam al-Ghazālī
mentions. Today, people tend to use all available resources to meet
their own needs and save the remaining resources for later use instead
of sharing them with their friends. This is evidenced by the fact that
friends nowadays rarely lend money to each other, instead opting to
take out loans from banks. Unfortunately, the practice of qarḍ al-ḥasan
(lending for the sake of Allah ‫)ﷻ‬, which promotes selflessness and
generosity towards others, has been almost completely forgotten. It is
therefore of utmost importance to revive the spirit of futuwwah, and to
put it into practice by maintaining strong friendship bonds based on
sacrifice and altruism.
 7
Oppose your nafs: give it its rights and
restrain its pleasures.

One of the biggest obstacles that hinder one’s moral and spiritual
development is one’s own ego, which is called nafs in tasawwuf. Nafs
is a force within us that calls us to pursue our hedonistic desires and
pleasures. Freeing oneself from the control of the nafs is necessary
for leading a virtuous life because the nafs constantly hinders virtuous
behavior. The person who achieves this freedom performs virtuous
acts without the need for an inner struggle. This level is the aimed
goal of futuwwah.

The human heart can love only one thing at the same time. A person
loves either his nafs or his Creator. Those who love their nafs spend
their lives pursuing their hedonistic desires, and those who love
Allah ‫ ﷻ‬spend their lives seeking His Pleasure. However, when we
make a simple observation of the world and human beings, we see
that people love many things such as possessions, glory, eating and
drinking, and leadership. When we think a little deeper, we realize
that people love what they love to fulfill their desires and satisfy their
nafs. Therefore, the person who seemingly loves all of these things
actually loves only one thing: his own self. It is only when the love of
the nafs is overcome that the love of Allah ‫ ﷻ‬emerges in the heart.
 LOVE
Imam Rabbānī al-Sirhindī, Letter 24, al-Maktūbāt

The heart is unable to extend its love to multiple objects

simultaneously. Love for something must be removed before the
heart can love something else. It is common for humans to have many
objects of affection, such as wealth, children, leadership, praise, and
popularity. However, this love for multiple things is, in reality, love
for one thing: the self (al-nafs). Love for all other things is merely an
extension of one’s love for oneself. This is because everything that
one desires, one desires for oneself; these desires are not pursued for
the sake of the thing itself.

And when his love for himself is removed, the love for the extensions
of his self-love (i.e. love of money, leadership, popularity etc.) also
goes away. It is for this reason that they say that the veil between a
person and God is not the world (al-ʿālam), but one’s own self (al-
nafs)! Since the world in itself is not what a person wants, it cannot
be the veil. Indeed, the true purpose of the person is to please their
ego. The world is merely an instrument to make oneself happy.
Therefore, necessarily, the self of the person is the veil that separates
them from God, not something else! And until a person becomes
completely empty of their desires (murād), God will not become his
intention (murād), and love for God will not find a place in his heart.

And this is the great happiness (al-dawlat al-quṣwā) which cannot

be attained except through absolute annihilation (of the self) or
complete negation (of what is wrong) (al-fanaʾ al-mutlaq) which is
contingent upon the personal manifestation of God (al-tajallī al-
dhatī) in one’s heart. The personal manifestation of God is the love
of God (al-hubb al-dhatī) for His own sake. Unless you come to a
very clear understanding that what is worthy of love is only God,
you cannot clean yourself from other attachments, passions, and
desires. Because removal of darkness cannot be imagined without
the complete sunrise. The personal manifestation of God is like the
sunrise in the heart. It makes you see the truth.
We all have needs and desires, so how do we deal with them?
There are three main standpoints regarding the attitude to be taken
against sensual desires: the materialist standpoint, the priesthood
standpoint, and the moderation standpoint.

1. The Materialist Standpoint

Materialists claim that happiness can be achieved by fulfilling one’s
hedonistic desires. In fact, this attitude is called al-nafs al-ammārah in
Sufism. Al-nafs al-ammārah means that a person is completely under
the control of his nafs and that he spends all his efforts to satisfy his
hedonistic desires in an unlimited way. This standpoint is prevalent
nowadays. Therefore, we can say that the modern and postmodern
civilization is a civilization of al-nafs al-ammārah.

2. The Priesthood Standpoint

Monks believe that real happiness can only be achieved by killing the
nafs completely and opposing all its desires. For this reason, monks
isolate themselves in monasteries and deprive themselves of all
material possessions and social relationships.

3. The Moderation Standpoint

According to this approach, the way to happiness is the middle way,
and it is briefly expressed as “give your nafs its due and prevent its
pleasure.” Accordingly, the key to human happiness is moderation.
This is the approach adopted by many philosophers and by Muslims.
In this respect, Islam has taken the middle path between the materialist
and the priesthood standpoints.
 According to the understanding of the human
being in Islam, the human soul or the heart
contains two faculties, namely the reason (ʿaql)
and the hedonistic self (nafs). The interaction
among these faculties varies from one person
to the other. In the inner world of the human
being, it is extremely important whether the
control is given to the ʿaql or to the nafs.

There is always a power conflict between the

reason and the hedonistic self. If a person is
spiritually healthy, the ʿaql is the commander
(manager) and the nafs is the servant (managed).
TYPE 1
THE RULING APPETITIVE SELF This state, in which the ʿaql is the ruler, is referred
(al-nafs al-ammāra)
to as “the healthy heart” (al-qalb al-salīm) or
as the “content soul” (al-nafs al-muṭmaʾinnah).
However, if a person is spiritually unhealthy,
the nafs takes control. In this case, the reason,
which should be the commander, becomes a
servant and constantly tries to find a way to
fulfill the orders of the hedonistic self. This
TYPE 2
THE CRITICAL SELF state, in which the nafs is the ruler, is referred to
(al-nafs al-lawwāma)
as “the ruling self ” (al-nafs al-ammārah), that is,
the nafs that gives orders abundantly. The ʿaql
at the service of the nafs al-ammārah finds more
and more satisfaction in love of possessions, in
the pursuit of fame, in sexual desires, and in
the love of leadership and similar hedonistic
desires. This state in which the nafs is idolized is
TYPE 3 called the “hidden polytheism” (al-shirk al-khafī)
THE CONTENT SELF
(al-nafs al-muṭmaʾinnah) as stated in the Holy Qur’an: “Have you seen
[O Prophet] the one who has taken their own desires as their god?
Will you then be a keeper over them?” (Qur’an 25:43).

According to this understanding, the materialist modern and

postmodern civilization, which adopts the view that people’s
happiness resides in the satisfaction of their unlimited desires, is
a polytheistic civilization in which the nafs is idolized. Materialist
philosophy and science are means of legitimizing the desires of
the ego with academic discourse. The institutions of the capitalist
modern civilization are also the means of satisfying the limitless
desires of the nafs. However, it should be known that it is impossible
for the nafs al-ammārah to be satisfied and content. Therefore, a person
who believes that he will be happy by pursuing the unlimited desires
of the nafs is like a person who pursues a mirage.

The manifestations of the polytheist modern and postmodern

civilization can be particularly observed in materialist psychology
and capitalist economics. Materialistic psychology tries to prove,
through academic research, that hedonistic desires should be freely
satisfied without being suppressed by religious or moral constraints.
Capitalist economics argues that we must meet the endless needs of
human beings by using our limited resources. However, the human is
a limited being, and his needs are also limited. Thus, it is human desires
which are unlimited, not their needs. At this point, it is necessary for
a person to determine in the light of religion and morality what his
real needs are and what and how much he really needs, and then try
to satisfy them lawfully. Otherwise, he runs the risk of spending his
entire life as a consumer of the capitalist economy. As a matter of
fact, from the conceptualization of capitalist economics, the human
is not seen as “human” but as “consumer.”

A person in this situation must make a great effort to engage in an

internal struggle against their lower self (nafs) and put it under the
control of the ʿaql, which should be the real ruler. This process is
called purification of the self (tazkiyat al-nafs or sayr al-sulūk). Since
this process is very challenging, the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬named it the greater
struggle (al-jihād al-akbar).

As a result of such an inner struggle and resistance, the person

who makes his ʿaql dominate his inner world regains his freedom by
liberating himself from the control of his lusts and desires. By doing
so, the person overcomes the biggest obstacle that hinders one from
leading a virtuous life and breaks the idol of the nafs. This is the aim
and goal of futuwwah.
 8
Eat less, sleep less, talk less, and leave what
does not concern you.

In futuwwah, it is not only important to know what a person should

do, but also what they should avoid. A person who follows the path
of futuwwah, known as fatā, should refrain from excessive eating,
sleeping, and talking. Furthermore, they should not be preoccupied
with matters that do not concern them, a principle known as tark
mā lā yaʿnīh. By practicing self-restraint in these areas, the fatā can
cultivate a sense of discipline and focus on the things that truly
matter for themselves in life.
Eat Less, Sleep Less
As explained in the previous rule, it is important to give the nafs
its right to sleep, eat, and drink, but it is also necessary to prevent
it from enjoying these pleasures excessively. Excessive eating and
sleeping signify a lack of self-control and that one is a prisoner of
their hedonistic desires.
Talk Less
To attain self-discipline and control, a fatā should also regulate their
speech. They should only speak when necessary and limit their
words to the appropriate amount needed to convey their message.
The fatā understands that there are situations where silence is more
appropriate than speech and vice versa. Talking a lot, like eating a
lot and sleeping a lot, a sign of being a prisoner to one’s hedonistic
desires.
 Leave What Does Not Concern You
One of the key principles of futuwwah is avoiding interference in
other people’s affairs (tark mā lā yaʿnīh). This involves recognizing the
distribution of duties and responsibilities among individuals in social
life, and focusing on one’s own tasks and responsibilities instead of
wasting time on the duties of others. Such behavior is wrong in several
aspects. First of all, those who deal with other people’s affairs cannot
find enough time to do their own work. Secondly, interfering in
others’ duties makes those people uncomfortable, and this negatively
affects the quality of their relationship. Thirdly, people’s meddling in
others’ affairs disrupts the existing order.

It is important to distinguish between avoiding mā lā yaʿnīh and

avoiding prying (fuḍūl). Avoiding mā lā yaʿnīh involves refraining from
meddling in other people’s affairs, regardless of their significance.
On the other hand, avoiding prying means abstaining from all
unnecessary preoccupations that can distract one from fulfilling their
responsibilities and obligations.

mā lā yaʿnīh: important but not for me

fuḍūliyyāt: useless preoccupations
A person who eats a lot, sleeps a lot, talks a lot, and spends time in
mā lā yaʿnīh cannot possibly find time for performing his own duties
and responsibilities. Therefore, it is inevitable for a person who does
these things to have good time management skills and to organize
their priorities. The fatā distinguishes between what is important
and what is most important and follows the rule “first things first”
because his priority is servicing others. In order to find time for such
service, it is necessary not to waste time eating, sleeping, engaging in
idle talk, and in affairs that do not concern the person.
 9
Work with azīmah and stay away from
rukhṣah.

Azīmah (perseverance) is the most virtuous deed with the highest

reward in the sight of Allah ‫ ﷻ‬and rukhṣah (license) is an action that
is permissible. The fatā persistently prefers the most virtuous behavior
with the highest reward. Unless the conditions compel him, he does
not compromise from performing his deeds with azīmah. Sometimes,
out-of-control situations can occur in human life. In such necessary
situations, the people of futuwwah can act with licenses.

Scholars and students of knowledge are distinguished from the

rest of the believers by their commitment to acting with azīmah.
However, acting with azīmah all the time and in all deeds is not
obligatory for everyone. Instead, it’s a superior quality that virtuous
people voluntarily adopt. Scholars can issue a fatwā with a license
(rukhṣah) for the common people, depending on their situation, or
they can explain both azīmah and rukhṣah options and leave the
choice to them. This flexibility recognizes that people have different
circumstances and abilities, and it allows them to choose the most
appropriate course of action for their situation.

It is difficult for people who make it a habit to act with licenses to

have taqwā and virtue. This is because they usually prefer the easiest
options that please their souls to the most virtuous behavior. The
people of futuwwah try to follow the most virtuous behavior in every
situation. Instead of applying licenses or the minimum rules of
conduct, they act with what is the most beloved and virtuous in the
sight of Allah ‫ﷻ‬.

It was narrated by Abu Huraira that a Bedouin came to the

Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬and said, “Tell me of such a deed as will make me
enter Paradise, if I do it.” The Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬said, “Worship Allah,
and worship none along with Him, offer the (five) prescribed
compulsory prayers perfectly, pay the compulsory zakat, and fast
the month of Ramadan.” The Bedouin said, “By Him, in Whose
Hands my life is, I will not do more than this.”

As we can see in this example of the Bedouin who came from the
desert and asked questions to our Prophet ‫ﷺ‬, there are two types
of people. On the one hand, there are those who are content with
only fulfilling the obligatory duties and avoiding what is ḥarām.
On the other hand, there are those who stay away from ḥarām
(forbidden), makrūh (reprehensible) and doubtful acts, and try to fulfill
all the mandatory and recommended acts of worship. The people
of futuwwah belong to the second category and take the elders of the
Companions, who are in the top stratum among the strata of the
Companions, as role models.

How about the issues on which scholars disagree? Perseverance in

matters on which scholars disagree requires abandoning controversial
issues and following consensus (ijmāʿ). Following the general consensus
is considered the most prudent deed.
 10
Cleanse your heart from hate and jealousy
but oppose oppressors.

The fatā does not hold grudges, does not envy, and does not make
enemies. However, he opposes oppressors because whoever does not
oppose the oppressor becomes complicit in the oppression.

A person who embarks on the path of futuwwah must, therefore,

remove all feelings of jealousy, hatred, and enmity from his heart.
These feelings are the biggest obstacles to moral and spiritual
development. Jealousy destroys all virtuous behavior just as fire
burns wood. The fatā cannot be jealous because one of the basic
rules of futuwwah is to love for others that which one loves for oneself,
which makes it the complete opposite of jealousy. How can someone
who wishes for the deprivation of a blessing or merit possessed by
another person, and desires having that blessing or merit exclusively
for himself, make sacrifices for that person?!

It is worth noting, however, that oppressors are excluded from this

rule. Prophet Muhammad ‫ ﷺ‬said: “Whoever amongst you sees an
evil, he must change it with his hand; if he is unable to do so, then
with his tongue; and if he is unable to do so, then with his heart; and
that is the weakest form of Faith.” It is one of the requirements of
futuwwah to oppose the oppressors and fight them.
 11
See sunnah as farḍ and do it and see makrūh
as ḥarām and stay away from it.

The person who embarks on the path of futuwwah should constantly

raise the quality of his moral behavior. This can only be possible by
aiming for the highest standards of ethical conduct. Doing what is
obligatory (farḍ) and avoiding what is forbidden (ḥarām) represents
the minimum standards of ethical conduct. The sunnah refers to
the actions, sayings, and approvals of the Prophet Muhammad
‫ ﷺ‬that are recommended and encouraged but not compulsory.
Nevertheless, it is only by seeing the sunnah as farḍ and seeing the
makrūh (reprehensible) as ḥarām that it is possible to rise to the highest
levels of morality and virtue. By constantly acting on the sunnah and
staying away from what is reprehensible (makrūh), one can attain a
high level of ethical conduct.
 12
Get along well with your brothers, adapt to
them, and avoid conflict.

One of the basic rules of futuwwah is to be in harmony with friends

(muwāfakat al-ikhwān). The fatā makes the utmost effort to be in
harmony with the people around him, to carry out teamwork, and
to preserve unity without causing unnecessary conflict and division.

It is a requirement of true friendship not to object to our friends’

wishes and desires as long as they are permissible (mubāh). That’s why
our ancestors said: “friendship means saying alright.” Various levels
of friendship are meant here. First of all, as stated in the expression
“if you want a friend, Allah is enough,” the fatā says “alright” to
Allah ‫ ﷻ‬by obeying His Commands and staying away from His
prohibitions. Second, the fatā says “alright” to his fellow human
beings to preserve harmony and avoid conflicts.
 13
Be patient in your relationships with others
and endure their mistreatment.

Patience and endurance are necessary for healthy relationships.

Being patient in our relationships with others and enduring their
mistreatment is extremely important for the continuation of
relationships unless the wrong behavior leads to sin.

As it is stated in the proverb “those who look for a perfect friend

remain without friends,” we should realistically accept that all our
friends will have flaws and enter into a relationship with them
accordingly. If we accept this in the first place, we should be ready to
endure their faults and mistakes. This is called mudārāh.

Mudārāh entails enduring mistreatment and waiting for the right

time to correct it. It prevents many conflicts, fights, and divisions.
However, tolerance has a limit. It should not turn into unlawful
partnership. If the wrong behavior causes harm, it would not be
right to tolerate it. In such cases, it is necessary to work hard to
dissuade friends from that wrong behavior and to prevent them from
harming other people.
 14
Beautify your inside before your outside:
beautify your inside with dhikr and your
outside with worship and morality.

“Either appear as you are or be as you appear.”

(Mawlānā Jalāl al-Dīn Rūmī (1207-1273)

The fatā must be beautiful inside and outside, but real beauty is the
beauty of the heart. For this reason, the fatā prioritizes inner beauty
over outer beauty. However, because the latter is easier, many people
focus on it and often neglect their inner beauty.

Inner beauty is realized when we adorn our hearts with praiseworthy

qualities such as beneficial knowledge, faith, dhikr, love, and sincerity.
Although these virtues are not visible, they are very valuable and
can only be gained after a long moral training and inner struggle.
In addition, it is necessary to make an effort to maintain these
praiseworthy qualities after gaining them.

As for outer beauty, it is realized when we perform religious and

moral acts that can be seen from the outside. It should be known,
however, that the root of these acts is in the heart. It is the beautiful
states and qualities of the heart that culminate in moral actions. In
other words, our heart is a tree, and our actions are its fruits.
Beautifying our hearts is a prerequisite for our external beauty.
Worship and morality of someone whose heart is not purified and
beautified cannot go beyond hypocrisy and showing off as illustrated
in the following verse from the Qur’an: “Shame on those ‘hypocrites’
who pray yet are unmindful of their prayers, those who only show off
and refuse to give even the simplest aid.” (Qur’an 107:4-6).
 15
Offer help before being asked for it.

It is narrated that a man named Masrūq and his friend Khaythama

both had heavy debts. Instead of paying their own debts, Masrūq
paid Khaythama’s debt without his knowledge, and Khaythama
paid Masruq’s debt without his knowledge.

One of the most important qualities of the fatā is that he constantly

serves others and helps them. When offering help, the fatā observes
a set of ādāb (etiquette). One of the most important ādāb of futuwwah
in this regard is to avoid intimidating or hurting others. When this
ādāb is not observed, what might seem to be a good deed may in fact
have adverse effects.

Another rule of futuwwah is to offer help before being asked for it. In
order to do so, the fatā constantly watches over the conditions of his
friends and colleagues.

When he feels that they need help, he helps them without waiting
for them to bow down and ask for help. How can a person who is
unaware of his friends’ needs be a true friend?! Likewise, how can a
person who has forced his friends to bow down and ask for help be
a true friend?!
It is narrated that a man went to visit his friend. When he
knocked his door, his friend said: “Why did you come?” The
man said: “I need four hundred dirhams to pay a loan of mine.”
Upon hearing this, his friend went inside his house, weighed four
hundred dirhams, and gave them to the man. After this, his friend
went back home crying. His wife asked him: “If you could not
afford to give this amount of money, why didn’t you find some
excuses?” He said: “I am not crying because I cannot afford the
money. I am crying because I have not checked upon my friend to
know his situation before he came and asked me for help.”
 16
Respond to misbehavior with kindness.

Abu Hurairah (RA) said: “A man came to the Prophet, may Allah
bless him and grant him peace, and said: “Messenger of Allah! I
have relatives with whom I maintain ties while they cut me off. I
am good to them while they are bad to me. They behave foolishly
towards me while I am forbearing towards them.” The Prophet
said: “If things are as you said, you will not lack divine aid as long
as you continue to do that.”

When someone does something bad to you, how would you respond?
Would you do a similar action? Would you forgive the person?
Or would you respond with a better action? If someone has been
wronged, he can respond in one of the following three ways:

1. Retaliation (Qiṣāṣ)
Qiṣāṣ (retaliation in kind or retributive justice) is a form of punishment
that corresponds to the offense committed. This is a level of Sharīʿah
where individuals aim to satisfy their inner sense of justice by
responding to the wrongdoing done to them with a similar action.

2. Forgiveness (ʿfw)
Allah ‫ ﷻ‬recommended forgiveness (ʿafw) in the Qur’an and
stated that it is more virtuous than retaliation. However, it is not
an obligatory act. This level of moral behavior is known as ṭarīqah.
Those who strive to achieve this level prioritize the reward they will
receive from Allah ‫ ﷺ‬in the Hereafter over any immediate material
pleasure from seeking revenge.

3. Responding to Evil with Good (Iḥsān)

Allah ‫ ﷻ‬praised those who respond to evil with good in the Qur’an,
but He did not make it an obligation for all believers, knowing that
it could be challenging for some. Responding to evil with good is the
highest level of moral behavior, known as ḥaqīqah. A person at this
level responds to evil with good, overcomes his feelings of hatred
and enmity, and voluntarily prefers the reward of Allah ‫ ﷻ‬over the
selfish pleasure of taking revenge. As our ancestors said: “responding
to evil with evil is the behavior of the lay person, but responding to
evil with goodness is the behavior of the fatā.

Throughout this book, we have emphasized that futuwwah is rooted

in love and selflessness, rather than justice and retaliation. This ethos
is reflected in the behavior of the fatā, who visit those who sever
ties with them, donate to those who withhold good from them, and
forgive those who wrong them. As Prophet Muhammad ‫ ﷺ‬taught:
“Maintain ties with those who cut you off, donate to those who
withhold good from you, and forgive those who wrong you.” What
truly matters to the fatā is not the actions or opinions of others, but
whether their actions are pleasing to Allah ‫ﷻ‬. In other words, the
fatā is doing all that he is doing for the sake of Allah ‫ﷻ‬.
 17
Do not seek out people’s private faults.

It is virtuous to conceal others’ faults, but it is even more virtuous not

to seek out people’s secret faults at all. This act of concealing faults
done in private is called sitr, while seeking out people’s private faults
is called tajassus. One of the hadiths that illustrate the concept of sitr
was narrated by Abdullah (RA), who said:

A man came to Prophet Muhammad, may Allah bless him and

grant him peace, and said: ‘I fondled a woman who lives on the
edge of the city (Medina), and I did with her what is less than
sexual intercourse, and here I am, so judge in my case as you will.’
Thereupon ‘Umar (RA) said: ‘Allah has concealed your fault; it
would have been better if you also had concealed it yourself.’ The
Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, did not give
him any reply. The man left but the Prophet, may Allah bless him
and grant him peace, sent a man after him to call him. He recited
to him: ’And perform Salat, at the two ends of the day and in
some hours of the night. Verily, the good deeds remove the evil
deeds. That is a reminder for the mindful’ (11:114) until the end
of the verse. A man among the people said: ’Is this specific for
him?’ The Prophet answered: ’No. it is for all of the people.”

This ḥadīth illustrates the value of the ethical principle of sitr and
indicates that faults made in private are better concealed. The
importance of staying away from seeking out others’ private faults
(tajassus) is illustrated in the following ḥadīth narrated by Abdullah b.
Masud (RA), who said:

Zayd ibn Wahb said: A man was brought to Ibn Mas’ud. He was
told: This is so and so, and wine was dropping from his beard.
Abdullah thereupon said: We have been prohibited to seek out
faults. If anything becomes manifest to us, we shall seize it.

This ḥadīth emphasizes the importance of staying away from tajassus

and shows that seeking out others’ faults is an immoral act. Instead
of seeking out others’ faults, the fatā concentrates on his own faults
and shortcomings and tries to constantly improve himself at the
moral and spiritual levels.
 18
Visit your relatives without being invited and
avoid taklīf and takalluf.

It is narrated that a group of people visited a man from the first

generations of Muslims (tabiʿūn) and the latter could not find
anything in his house to offer his guests. He went to his friend’s
house and found a cooked meal and some bread there. He took
all the food and offered it to his guests. When his friend came
back home, he did not find anything from the food and bread in
his house. When some passersby told him that it was his friend
who came and took them to serve his guests, he became extremely
happy and told his friend: “Please do feel free to do it again and
again whenever you need.”

To people of futuwwah, visiting one another at their homes is not

only a social activity, but also an expression of brotherhood and love.
It is a way of strengthening ties and showing care for one another.
As a matter of fact, the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬used to visit his companions at
their homes, eat, and even sleep there when necessary. Likewise, he
would invite them to his home. The Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬also used to visit
the companions he felt close to without being invited. In fact, this
behavior of visiting someone without waiting for an official invitation
is seen as a sign of closeness and sincerity.
However, hospitality and mutual visits also have a set of ādāb
(etiquette) that both the visitor and the host should observe. One of
the most important of these is staying away from taklīf and Takalluf.
Taklīf happens when the guest expects too much from the host and
does not appreciate what is being offered to them. Takalluf happens
when the hosts lay themselves out too much and do more than what
is needed to welcome the guests. Hospitality etiquette under futuwwah
requires no taklīf or Takalluf between the visitor and the host. Thus,
neither side gets into any kind of physical or material trouble, a
comfortable visit is realized, and the actions of visiting and being
visited become more sustainable.
 19
Glorify the bounties of Allah ‫ﷺ‬.

Futuwwah entails observing a set of ādāb towards Allah ‫ ﷻ‬and His

servants. One of the most important of these ādāb is glorifying the
bounties of Allah ‫ ﷻ‬and not belittling even the smallest of them.

Allah ‫ ﷻ‬bestows His bounties on us in different ways and forms.

One of these forms is the offering. For this reason, when a fatā is
offered something, he knows that the gift actually comes from Allah
‫ﷻ‬, and that the person who offered the gift is just a means. With this
in mind, the fatā never belittles anything offered to him because he
knows that it is coming from Allah ‫ﷻ‬.

When the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬was offered a meal, he would eat it if he liked

it. If he did not like it, he would remain silent because condemning
the offering is a fault against both Allah ‫ ﷻ‬and the servant.
 20
Befriend people and stay away from those
who lead you away from the straight path.

The Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬said: “The believer is friendly and is one

who is befriended. There is no good in one who is difficult to
approach and befriend. And the best of people are those who
are most beneficial to people.”

This beautiful ḥadīth highlights some of the most important aspects

of futuwwah, namely friendship, pleasantness, and service. The people
of futuwwah are approachable and friendly. They establish close
friendship ties with people easily, and they make other people feel at
ease. However, there is an exception to this rule of friendship. Strong
friendship ties should be established with righteous people, and not
with those who will lead people astray from the right path and lead
them in wrong directions. It is permissible to associate with people
who are on the wrong path with the sole aim of discouraging them
from their wrongdoings. Otherwise, such friendships may carry the
risk of making one complicit in the wrongdoings of others, or may
even lead one to eventually join them in their bad deeds.
 21
Give advice in private. Accept good advice,
warnings, and criticisms with humility and
satisfaction, from whomever they come from.

Giving and receiving advice is a vital aspect of healthy social

relationships. However, they are subject to a proper etiquette. The
people of futuwwah place great importance on this etiquette, which
involves approaching the situation with sincerity, wisdom, and tact.

One of the most important rules of giving advice is to do it privately.

When giving advice in private, you avoid embarrassing the person
whose mistake you are addressing, and you prevent them from
becoming defensive out of pride. This is why it is said that “advice
in public is an insult.”

Regarding the etiquette for receiving advice, a person should

welcome it with satisfaction and gratitude. Even if the advisor is
younger, less knowledgeable, or of lower status, one should listen
carefully with humility and contentment, without being too proud
or defensive. As the Arabic proverb says, “Do not look at who says,
look at what they say.” If the advice is truthful, it should be accepted
happily. Otherwise, one should explain their position and situation
to the advisor in an appropriate manner, provided they have the
capacity to understand.
If the conversation turns into a debate, then the discussion should
be conducted in accordance with the debating etiquette (munāẓara).
The most important rules of debating etiquette can be briefly
summarized as follows:

1. The purpose of the discussion is not to win the debate but to

reveal the truth.
2. Listen carefully to the other person without any prejudice.
3. Ask for the reasons for their claims.
4. After all of these steps, objections can be made.
 22
Be generous and content even in times of
scarcity.

One day, the following dialogue occurred between a man and

Junayd al Baghdadi:
—Man: What is futuwwah, according to you?
—Junayd: If we are deprived of something, we show patience. If
we are given something, we thank Allah.
—The man said: The dogs in our village do the same thing.
—Junayd said: So what is futuwwah, according to you?
—The man: If we are deprived of something, we thank Allah. If
we are given something, we distribute it to other people.

If we were forced to choose just one word to replace futuwwah, it

would most likely be generosity. Generosity is a quality of people who
enjoy giving. People who enjoy receiving more than giving cannot
be generous. For to be generous, one must first cleanse his heart
from stinginess, selfishness, jealousy, and love of wealth. Therefore,
generosity goes hand in hand with the extremely important virtue of
contentment (riḍā).

As we can see from the dialogue above, the fatā is generous and
contented, not only in abundance but also in times of scarcity. Being
generous and contented is one of the basic rules of futuwwah ethics.
Being contented in abundance is a good virtue but being contented
in times of scarcity is an even greater virtue.

As for how much one can give, the fatā always gives in proportion
to what he has because he knows that whoever does not give from
a little, will not give when he is rich. This is also reflected in the
distinction in Islam between the right to own and the right to con
sume. While Islamic law recognizes your right to ownership and
personal property, it has specific instructions on how much should
be given away as mandatory alms (zakāt). Islamic ethics goes further
to highlight that you are only allowed to use and consume as much
as you need from all of the things that you own. Everything beyond
your needs should be distributed to the benefit of society.

It is narrated that a woman asked Al Layth b. Saad for a small

amount of honey, and he gave her a jar of honey. So people asked
him: “Why did you give her a jar while she only asked for a small
amount of honey?” He said: “She asked for as much as she needs,
and we give as much as we can.”

Last but not least, being generous also means adopting one of the
attributes of Allah ‫ﷻ‬, who is known as the most generous (al-Karīm).
And remember, Allah ‫ ﷻ‬is generous to those who are generous to
His creatures.
 23
Be loyal to your old friends.

Anas ibn Malik reported: When the Prophet, peace and

blessings be upon him, was given something, he would say,
“Go to such person, for they were a friend of Khadijah. Go to
the house of such person, for they were loved by Khadijah.”

One of the goals of futuwwah ethics is to foster strong and enduring

friendships among people. Such friendships can only be established
and sustained when friends value and remain loyal to one another.
Loyalty is the key to maintaining long-lasting friendships. It has been
said that an unscrupulous person does not have any long-term friends.
This is either because they were not loyal to their friends or because
their friends did not like them and eventually abandoned them. In
contrast, the fatā remains loyal to their old friends, maintaining a
good relationship with them even if they no longer have a use for
them.
 24
Offer food and give gifts wholeheartedly.

Abdullah bin Salam (RA) reported: The Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬said: “O

people, greet one another, feed people, strengthen the ties of
kinship, and be in prayer when others are asleep, you will enter
Jannah in peace.”

Generosity is a fundamental characteristic of futuwwah, and one of

its most significant expressions is sharing. For the people of futuwwah,
sharing brings joy and contentment. Although generosity can take
many forms, offering food is regarded as the most important. The
Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬would personally serve food to his guests in his home,
and he also encouraged his companions to greet both acquaintances
and strangers and offer them food. One of the highest forms of
hospitality is to serve one’s guests with food that has been prepared
with one’s own hands in one’s own home.

Another manifestation of sharing and generosity is giving gifts.

Giving gifts is a sunnah. Our Beloved Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬said: “Give gifts
to one another and you will love one another.” He also loved to give
gifts and he gave generous gifts to people he knew and to people he
did not know.
Giving gifts is superior to giving charity. Our Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬and his
family never received alms, but they accepted gifts. In addition,
giving a gift does not humiliate the recipient as alms do because the
gift is given to everyone whether in need or not, but alms are given
to the poor only. For this reason, even while giving zakāt, it would be
more appropriate to give heartedly in the form of a gift.

Giving gifts and offering food are external acts of worship. It is

therefore important to emphasize that they should not be done with
an inner feeling of reluctance. Instead, the fatā enjoys sharing and
giving. When he offers food and gives gifts, he does so wholeheartedly.
In fact, he follows the examples of prophets and companions who
even felt sad if they do not receive guests for some time:

It is said that the Fourth Caliph Ali b. Abi Talib (RA) was sad and
cried as he prayed to Allah ‫ ﷻ‬when, for a period of seven days,
his home was not graced by a guest. He sought forgiveness as he
assumed that not being granted a guest was a punishment for a
sin he had unknowingly committed.
 25
Let your generosity and goodness surround
all people equally, without discrimination.

َ‫وَم َ ٓا أَ ْرسَل ْنَـاك َ ِإ َلّا رَحْم َة ً لِلْعَـالم َي ِن‬

And We have not sent you (O Muhammad ‫)ﷺ‬,
except as a mercy to the worlds.
[Qur’an 21:107]

Qays b. Saad b. Ubadah was asked: “Have you seen someone

more generous than yourself ?” He said: “Yes! When we stopped
by a family’s house in the countryside, the woman informed
her husband that they have two guests. Upon hearing this, the
husband slaughtered a camel and served it to us. The following
day, he did the same thing again and served it to us. We said:
“We have not eaten much from the one that you slaughtered
yesterday.” He said: “I do not serve my guests overnight food.”
We stayed in his house for two or three days because of the rainy
weather, and he kept doing the same thing every day. When we
were leaving, we put a hundred dinars in his house. We thanked
the wife, apologized for any inconvenience, and left. As we were
on our way, a man started calling upon us: “Stop, oh travelers, did
you give me money in return for my hospitality?” He came closer
and said: “You will either take your money back or I will throw
my arrow at you.” We took the money back and he left.

Mercy is an essential part of the sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad

‫ﷺ‬. Therefore, the people of futuwwah should embody this mercy
towards all of creation. Divine mercy surrounds everyone regardless
of their nationality, race, religion, or character. The sun rises and the
rain falls on all people equally, without discrimination. Just as divine
mercy extends to all people alike, the generosity and goodness of the
people of futuwwah should also surround all people equally, without
discrimination. This is what is meant by adobting the morals of Allah
‫ﷻ‬.

The people of futuwwah extend their goodness and generosity to all,

without distinction. They treat every human being with equal care,
love, and benevolence, showing no difference in their treatment of
close friends and strangers. This is because they believe that every
person, regardless of their identity, deserves kindness and respect.
 26
Let your friends use your property as if it
were their own.

One day, students of a madrasah decided to have a small feast

during their holiday. They sacrificed a cow, prepared a meal,
and invited their sheikh. The sheikh happily accepted their
invitation and asked about the source of the meat. One of the
students told him that they have sacrificed one of his cows.
Hearing this, the sheikh had a happy smile on his face to the
surprise of one of his disciples who asked him: “Aren’t you
mad because they have used your possessions without taking
your permission?” To this, the sheikh answered: “On the
contrary, I am extremely happy that my disciples consider me
so close as to be able to use my possessions without waiting for
my permission.”

Sharing is one of the fundamental traits of futuwwah ethics. One

of the hallmarks of true friendship is that you make no distinction
between your friend and yourself. This also applies to the things you
own. A person who does not distinguish between himself and his
friends allows his friends to use his belongings as if they were their
own and even takes great pleasure from it. Such an act strengthens
friendships and enhances relationships.
 27
Love the poor and treat them well: neither
despise the poor nor admire the rich.

Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Messenger ‫ ﷺ‬as saying, “The

worst kind of food is that at a wedding feast to which the rich are
invited and from which the poor are left out. If anyone rejects an
invitation, he has disobeyed Allah ‫ ﷻ‬and His Messenger ‫ﷺ‬.”

People generally tend to despise the poor and to admire the rich.
They despise the poor because they are most of the time weak and
powerless; and they magnify the rich because they have wealth,
property, glory, and fame. It is incompatible with futuwwah ethics to
admire the rich simply because of their wealth and to despise the
poor simply because of their poverty because wealth is not a sign of
superiority, and poverty is not a sign of inferiority.

Superiority and inferiority are not matters of wealth and poverty.

A wealthy person is valuable only if he thanks Allah ‫ ﷻ‬for His
bounties and shares his wealth with the poor and the needy for the
sake of Allah ‫ ﷻ‬in a ḥalāl way. Otherwise, he would have no worth
in the sight of Allah ‫ﷻ‬.

Goodness is a virtuous act, and it is most virtuous and sincere when

it is done to those who are too poor to have the opportunity and
possibility to offer something in return. In this case, the person who
does a good deed expects his reward only from Allah ‫ﷻ‬.
 28
Be ḥasbī: let all your deeds be for the sake
Allah ‫ﷻ‬.

There are two types of people: ḥasbī and ḥisābī. Ḥasbī people, on
the one hand, are those who do everything for the sake of Allah ‫ﷻ‬,
expecting the reward of their deeds from Him alone. Ḥisābī people,
on the other hand, are those who take advantage of any opportunity
to maximize their well-being, often with no regard for principles.
Ḥisābī people are often referred to as utilitarians or opportunists.

The fatā is ḥasbī. He does everything without expecting anything in

return. In addition, all his deeds are in accordance with the will of
Allah ‫ ﷻ‬and the Sunnah of his beloved Prophet ‫ ;ﷺ‬he never deviates
from it.

One should be ḥasbī and should choose his friends from ḥasbī people.
Your friendships with ḥisābī people cannot last long because their
only concern is to take advantage of you. Once they stop benefitting
from you, they would put an end to the friendship. Permanent
friendships can only be established with ḥasbī people because they
would maintain the relationship even if they do not get something in
return from you.
 29
Know that what you give for the sake of
Allah ‫ ﷻ‬is what you truly own.

Futuwwah is based on giving, but giving can be seen as a loss,

especially nowadays. When viewed from a materialist and capitalist
perspective, one can hardly see a reason to give away what one has.
Then the question arises: Why should we give?

Allah ‫ ﷻ‬and our beloved Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬answered this question very

well: we give because what we give is what we truly own. We will be
held accountable for what we have and consume, but what we give
for the sake of Allah ‫ ﷻ‬will be our true possession in the Hereafter.
This is best illustrated in the following incident that took place
between our beloved Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬and Aisha (RA):

One day, Prophet Muhammad ‫ ﷺ‬slaughtered an animal in his

house. When he finished cutting it into pieces he left. Aisha (RA)
distributed almost all of the sacrificial meat to the needy, except
the scapula. When the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬came back home, he asked:
—Aisha, where is the sacrificed animal? What is left of it?
 Our mother Aisha (RA) answered:
—All of it is gone except the scapula.
Thereupon, the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬replied with a very happy expression
on his face:
—In fact, all of it is ours except the scapula.

In this dialogue, the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬emphasized the importance of

giving and its value in the sight of Allah. He meant that what we
give is what truly belongs to us, as it will be rewarded in the hereafter.
This incident has also been the source of the saying: “Whatever you
give with your hand will come back to you.”
 30
Forget the good you have done,
but never forget the favors done to you
and return them with better ones.

Abu Al-Hassan al-Madā’ini narrated that Al Hassan (RA), Al

Hussain (RA), and Abdullah b. Jaafar felt thirsty and hungry on
their way to pilgrimage. They passed by an old woman and asked
if she had anything to drink. She showed them a small sheep in
her tent and gave them permission to milk it and serve themselves
with its milk. Then, they asked her if she had anything to eat.
She said “I do not have anything else except this sheep. Please
feel free to slaughter it and I will make for you some food out
of its meat.” And so they did. After eating and taking some rest,
they bid farewell to the old lady and said: “We are from Quraish,
and we are heading towards Mecca. If we come back safely to
Medina, please come find us and we will return the favor.” When
she informed her husband about the visitors and the sheep, he
got very angry and said: “How dare you slaughter my sheep for
people you do not know?”

After a long period of time, the old couple moved to Medina

out of financial distress and gained their living by selling sheep
there. One day, the old woman was passing by a street when Al
 Hasan b. Ali was sitting in front of his house. He immediately
recognized her, but the old woman could not recall him. He
sent his servant and asked the old woman to come visit him and
asked: “Oh Servant of Allah, do you remember me?” She said
“No.” He said: “I was your guest on such and such day.” She
said: “Oh really, is that you?” He said: “Yes!” And so he ordered
to buy her a thousand sheep and to give her a thousand dinar
from the money allocated for charity. He then sent her together
with his servant to visit his brother Al Hussain (ra). Al Hussain
said: “How much did my brother give you?” The old woman
said: “He gave me a thousand sheep and a thousand dinar.” Al
Hussain also ordered to give her as many sheep and money and
sent her to Abdullah b. Jaafar. The latter asked her: “How much
did Al Hassan and Al Hussain give you?” The old woman said:
“Two thousand sheep and two thousand dinars.” And similarly,
Abdullah b. Jaafar ordered to give her two thousand sheep and
two thousand dinars. And so, the old woman went back to her
husband with four thousand sheep and four thousand dinars.

While most of our relationships nowadays are based on reciprocity,

the people of futuwwah always aim for the higher levels of ihsān in
all matters. This also includes the acts of doing and receiving favors.
When doing a favor, many people may be upset if the other party
does not show any appreciation. This should not be the case for the
people of futuwwah, for they are the followers of the morality of
the Prophets. As a matter of fact, as it has been underlined many
times in the Qur’an, the Prophets declared that they did not expect
anything in return for their good deeds; they expected their rewards
from Allah ‫ﷻ‬.
Similarly, one should expect the reward of his good deeds from
Allah ‫ ﷻ‬only. They should not even expect thanks from the people
they do good to. In fact, the ungratefulness of the receiver is even
seen as a better situation because it helps you make your deed even
more sincere. In addition, not receiving even the slight thanks in
return preserves all of your reward to the Hereafter. On the other
hand, expecting something in return for a good you have done, or
reminding people of that goodness will nullify the reward that will
come from Allah ‫ﷻ‬. For such expectations indicate that you want
the reward from people, not from Allah ‫ﷻ‬.

However, the people of futuwwah should never forget the favors done
to them and should thank the person who did the favor and try to
return it in the best way possible. Likewise, if someone has given
them a gift, they try to return it with a better gift. Thanking those
who have helped you is a necessity of giving thanks to Allah ‫ﷻ‬. This
is abiding by the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ‫ ﷺ‬who is narrated
as saying: “He who does not know how to thank the servants does
not know how to thank Allah ‫ﷻ‬.”
 31
Always take account of your nafs: observe
your actions and repent for your mistakes.

Nobody is perfect. As a follower of the futuwwah path, you also have

faults, shortcomings, and flaws. What distinguishes you from others
is how you constantly take account of them. When a person makes a
mistake, there are two ways before him: the way of Adam (AS) and
Eve (AS) or the way of shayṭān. When Adam (AS) and Eve (AS) ate
the forbidden fruit in Paradise and made a mistake, they immediately
admitted their mistake and repented. Shayṭān, on the other hand,
after disobeying Allah’s command to prostrate to Adam (AS), tried
to question Allah’s order and accuse Allah ‫ﷻ‬, as if he had given an
unwise order, instead of admitting his mistake and repenting.

A person’s assumption of perfection is actually his biggest shortco-

ming. Those who see themselves as being perfect cannot make any
moral development because they are not aware of their faults and
mistakes. Their arrogance makes them see admitting shortcomings
as a loss of dignity and inferiority.
The fatā is well aware that admitting one’s mistakes is the greatest
virtue that opens the door to moral development. As a fatā, you should
be humble and always try to know your faults and shortcomings and
correct them as much as you can through the practice of constant
self-examination (murāqaba). In this way, you will constantly advance
morally. So, you should constantly review your own behaviors, words,
and habits, being aware of your shortcomings and mistakes, consider
accepting them as a virtue, and continue to develop your morals.
 32
Make your own living: don’t be a burden
on anyone and trust in Allah’s guarantee of
sustenance.

One of the main gates of the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul is adorned

with beautiful calligraphy that says “al-kāsibu ḥabībullah.” This means
that the person who earns their own living is beloved to Allah ‫ﷻ‬.
This phrase embodies the futuwwah and ahî professional ethics that
were prominent during that time.

The people of futuwwah act according to the principle “Be my friend,

not my burden.” In other words, they all try to earn their own living
and refuse to live on the backs of others. In fact, as described in
the afo rementioned ḥadīth, a person should strive to seek his own
sustenance in a halal way because working to provide his sustenance
is one of the most virtuous acts of worship.

While doing your best to make a living keep in mind that Allah ‫ﷻ‬
is the Absolute Sustainer. In other words, you should not see your
boss or employer as your sustainer, but rather as a means which was
facilitated by Allah ‫ ﷻ‬to help you reach your sustenance. Also, do
not forget that Allah ‫ ﷻ‬had guaranteed His Sustenance to all the
creation. Our duty is to seek it through ḥalāl ways.
 33
Always choose the highest morality and act
accordingly with the most virtuous deeds.

ُ َ‫سي ِّئ َة ُ اِدْف َعْ ب َِال ّ ٖتي ِهي َ ا َحْ س‬

‫ن‬ ّ َ ‫وَل َا تَسْتَوِي الْحَسَن َة ُ وَل َا ال‬

ٌ ‫ك و َبَي ْن َه ُ عَد َاوَة ٌ ك َا َن َ ّه ُ و َلِيّ ٌ حَمٖيم‬

َ َ ‫فَاِذ َا ال َ ّذٖي بَي ْن‬
Good and evil deeds are not equal.
Repel [evil] by that [deed] which is better;
and thereupon the one whom between you and him is enmity
[will become] as though he was a devoted friend .
[Qur’an 41:34]

As we have mentioned before, there are degrees of morality. As a fata,

you should always adopt the motto of “Acting with the morality that is
the most beloved and virtuous in the sight of Allah” as the most basic
principle of your life. In other words, you should go beyond deciding
on actions based on whether they are permissible or not, but rather
decide based on which ones are best and most virtuous. By doing
so, you will be elevating your morality to the highest degrees. Let’s
explain this with a simple example. When someone does something
wrong to you or hurts you, you can respond in three possible ways:

1. Retaliation or punishment
2. Forgiveness
3. Responding to evil with goodness
All of these three reactions are considered moral, but the most
virtuous reaction is to respond to evil with good. Following the
highest levels of morality means following the Sunnah of Prophet
Muhammad ‫ﷺ‬, who always acted in the most virtuous way. No one
can criticize even the smallest prophetic action by saying that it would
have been better if he had done otherwise because the Prophet ‫ﷺ‬
always displayed the best behavior. Therefore, it is appropriate to
summarize the Sunnah as “always acting in the best possible way in all
circumstances” (al-ʿamal bimā huwa al-awlā wa al-afḍal).
 34
Forgive even if you are able to punish:
choose forgiveness rather than scolding and
punishing.

It is permissible and moral to repay an evil act with retaliation (qiṣāṣ);

that is, to repay evil in kind and punish the wrongdoer. However,
retaliation is the lowest level of virtuous behavior because forgiveness
is superior. Many verses of the Qur’an and ḥadīth bear witness to this.
Forgiveness is a great virtue, especially for someone who is able to
punish. Opting for forgiveness and tolerance when you are able to
retaliate is the best form of moral discipline. The heart of the person
who is punished and scolded narrows, and he finds it very difficult
to accept his mistake and correct his behavior. On the other hand,
those who are forgiven eventually realize their mistakes and correct
them happily.
 35
Approach people with good judgment; talk
to everyone according to their degree of
knowledge.

The life of our beloved Prophet Muhammad ‫ ﷺ‬is full of instances

where he talked to children, Bedouins from the desert, and scholars
and philosophers who were formerly Magi, Jewish, or Christian.
What is striking in his approach is that he would adapt his speech
to the level of his correspondent. This way, he made sure that his
message was received in the most beautiful and adequate manner.

It is a principle of futuwwah to approach all people without any

prejudice and to have good thoughts towards all people. When you
see someone doing something that is outwardly wrong, the best
reaction would be to investigate first whether there is a legitimate
reason behind it. As when you are faced with some actions which
carry an equal probability of being good or bad, the safest guess is
to assume that they are good. By doing so, you will avoid developing
any feelings of hostility or enmity towards your friends because of
your misjudgments. When you fall into deeper doubt, it would be
safest to ask your friend directly about the reason why they engaged
in the behavior which seemed wrong to you.

As for your expectations from people in your relationships, they

should be in accordance with their levels of intelligence and
knowledge. You should always make sure that you address people in
a way that they can understand because your addressee’s perception
and evaluation of what you say is more important than what you do
or why you do it. As such, you would avoid being misunderstood or
misinterpreted for some words or actions that you have said or done
with good intentions.
 36
Prefer the comfort of your friends over yours.

A man narrated that he bought a piece of white fabric from a

young tradesman called Ahmad b. Sahl and the latter only took
the capital sum. So the man asked him: “Don’t you take any
profit?” He said: “I do not take profit because it is not a part of
the futuwwah ethics to make gains out of the transactions with
friends.”

The sum of all futuwwah principles forms what we can call the law of
friendship. Our ancestors called it “ḥuqūq al-ukhuwwah,” that is, the
law of brotherhood. In Islam, all Muslims are considered brothers in
religion, and all people are considered brothers in humanity because
they are all descendants of Adam (AS).

There are three main degrees of friendship or brotherhood:

1. Prioritizing your friend’s needs above your own.
2. Maintaining an equal level with your friend.
3. Prioritizing your needs over your friend’s.
The first level is the level of the prophets, saints, and people of
futuwwah. Putting your friend’s needs before your own needs is called
īthār. A friendship based on īthār is one in which people fulfill the
needs of their friends before their own needs; show patience to any
hardships that they face while safeguarding their friends’ comfort;
and make concessions or completely give up on their rights for their
fellow friends. However, they are meticulous about fulfilling their
rights to them in the best way possible. While doing so, they do not
fall into the trap of reciprocity by expecting the same behavior in
return. In other words, a fatā follows the examples of prophets and
saints and abides by the highest rules of friendship for the sake of
Allah ‫ﷻ‬, without expecting their friends to do the same in return.
 37
Approach people with good judgment; talk
to everyone according to their degree of
knowledge.

A virtuous person befriends virtuous people. The only criterion when

choosing a friend is whether he is virtuous or not. Therefore, you
have to be very careful when choosing your friends. If you befriend
people who are more virtuous, pious, and have better morals than
you, your morals will also become better by being influenced by
them. How does this happen?

When you are with people who are more religious and who have
reached a better morality than you, you will be able to see your
shortcomings and improve yourself. In worldly matters, it is better
to befriend people who are below you. If you are with people who
are financially more backward than you, you will be grateful for your
financial situation. However, if you are with people who are richer
than you, you will not be happy with your financial situation and you
may fall into greed to become richer. You may also flatter the rich
simply because of their wealth.
 38
Obey legitimate leaders (ūlu al-amr) and
consult with competent persons.

Ūlu al-amr means legitimate leaders. Obeying orders have different

degrees based on the order’s permissibility and the leaders’ legitimacy.
It is obligatory to obey the legitimate orders of legitimate leaders.
However, it is not obligatory to comply with illegitimate leaders. It is
also ḥarām (forbidden) to obey an illegitimate order, no matter whom
it comes from—whether from a legitimate or illegitimate leader.

There is a manager in almost every setting, and these managers

have ranks. At home, ūlu al-amr is the father who is the head of the
family. In his absence, the mother becomes the legitimate leader.
Similarly, the list of legitimate leaders includes the teacher at school,
the manager in the workplace, or the head of an institution. In all of
these cases and more, obeying them is a religious duty. However, this
obedience has its limits, for there is no unlimited obedience to anyone
except to Allah ‫ﷻ‬. The leaders’ orders should not contradict Allah’s
orders. If it does, the leaders’ orders become invalid. Therefore, it is
not virtuous to justify your actions by saying “we are just following
orders” and follow all orders of superiors regardless of whether
they are right or wrong. Every person is religiously and morally
responsible in the sight of Allah ‫ﷻ‬, and this responsibility can never
be delegated either to superiors or to anyone else.

Conducting consultations before making decisions is a sunnah for all

people, and especially for those who are in managerial positions. The
person who makes it a habit to consult others does not regret the
final decision because he gets the opportunity to evaluate the issue
from different perspectives. However, there are criteria for whom
to consult. Consultation means consulting with competent, sincere
people who do not hesitate to express their opinions, who keep secrets
and who are reliable. It is not right to consult with people who do not
have these conditions, that is, who are not competent and sincere,
who are afraid to express their opinions and who are unreliable, as
the result would be a wrong guidance on the matter. Importantly, the
person who is being consulted must be able to keep a secret because
he should not share information with others.
 39
Be stingy in your religion and morals
and generous with your wealth: do not
compromise your religion and morals but
sacrifice your property.

A virtuous person never compromises his religion and morals, but he

can compromise his material rights. If necessary, he can even give
up his material rights completely. In fact, it is considered a virtue to
compromise or give up one’s material rights to help other people.

Unlike people of futuwwah, materialistic people never compromise

their material rights, but they do not hesitate about compromising
their religion and morals. Compromising religion and morality may
cause serious problems that will never be compensated in the long
run while material sacrifices can always be compensated.
 40
Love Allah ‫ ﷻ‬and His Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬more than
anyone and anything else and follow all their
commands with love.

Futuwwah is the way of love. One of the fundamentals of futuwwah is

to love Allah ‫ ﷻ‬and to love all creatures for His Sake. As the famous
Turkish Sufi and poet Yunus Emre said: “We loved the created
because of the Creator.”

It is love for the sake of Allah ‫ ﷻ‬that produces social relationships

which endure all hardships and trials, as opposed to social
relationships based on temporary attributes such as personal interest
or beauty, which are ephemeral. It is the love of Allah ‫ ﷻ‬and the
love of other people for the sake of Allah ‫ ﷻ‬that is the eternal love
that will continue both in this world and in the hereafter.

Love is the basis of futuwwah morality. The relationship between

Allah ‫ ﷻ‬and His servants is a relationship of love. The relationship
between the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬and his Ummah is a relationship of love. The
relationship among the members of the Ummah is a relationship of
love. And the relationship between Muslims and other creatures is a
relationship of love. The following ḥadīth describes this beautifully:

“Whoever has three qualities, he can enjoy the sweetness of faith:

(1) Loving Allah and His Messenger more than anything else.
(2) Loving others solely for the sake of Allah.
(3) Hating disbelief and sinning as much as being thrown into a
burning fire.”

The concept of “sweetness of faith” (ḥalāwat al-īmān) mentioned in

this ḥadīth is very meaningful. In this ḥadīth, the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬informs us
that belief has a spiritual sweetness and that it can be tasted by those
who have these three characteristics. From this, we understand that
faith is not only a matter of philosophy or theology based on proof
or inference, but rather an action whose spiritual pleasure is felt in
the heart. Unfortunately, in our century, one of the values we have
lost—due to the academizing of religious education, the politicizing
and ideologizing of religious discourse, and the predominance of
economy and politics over spirituality and spirit—is the sweetness
of faith.

Reviving futuwwah will enable us to regain the taste of faith. Our task
should be to taste the sweetness of faith that we have forgotten in the
modernization process, and to let others taste it. The three issues
mentioned in this ḥadīth are among the basic principles of futuwwah.
Let us first consider the issue of loving Allah ‫ ﷻ‬and His beloved
Messenger ‫ ﷺ‬more than anything else.

We learn from this ḥadīth that faith is not only a matter of mind, but
also a matter of heart, love, and affection. Allah ‫ ﷻ‬and His Mes-
senger ‫ ﷺ‬are our eternal lovers, with whom we bond with endless
love. Allah ‫ ﷻ‬and His Messenger ‫ ﷺ‬are not just authorities who
give us orders, as implied by those who misunderstand and misrep-
resent religion as being only a set of rules. It rather consists of the
combination of faith, ingenuity, and love: those who know Allah ‫ﷻ‬
and His Messenger ‫ ﷺ‬love them wholeheartedly, but those who do
not know them are deprived of this love. Just as the lover obeys his
beloved with great pleasure, so it is that the people of futuwwah find
great honor and pleasure in obeying Allah’s orders and commends.

The second point emphasized in the ḥadīth is related to interpersonal

relations. The Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬reminds us that in order to enjoy faith,
our relationships with others should be based on love for Allah’s
sake, not on interests or other expectations. As we explained above,
unconditional love for Allah ‫ ﷻ‬is one of the basic rules of futuwwah.
When this advice is applied, there emerges what we can call a society
of love. That is, a society in which people are connected to each
other by a bond of unconditional love; and people naturally accrue
great happiness and pleasure from living in such a society.

The third point mentioned in the ḥadīth is related to abhorring

disbelief and running away from adopting the morals and behaviors
of unbelievers. The Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬said: “He who tries to imitate a
people is one of them.” As such, those who try to imitate the good
people become one of them, and those who try to imitate evil people
become one of them. When it comes to morality, this rule has an
important warning for the fatā: you are counted among those you
resemble in your morals, thoughts, and life.
 CONCLUSION:
FUTUWWAH AGAIN

Today, it is necessary to be vigilant and warn all our youth against

imitating the liberal understanding of morality. On the one hand,
the liberal understanding is based on the autonomy of the indivi-
dual. On the other hand, it is also based on the post-truth unders-
tanding of morality, which is in turn based on extreme subjectivity
and relativism. If the people of futuwwah want to enjoy the taste of
faith, they should take a stand against these moral understandings
and lifestyles which are based on disbelief and denial of God; and
they should not fall into the trap of their attractive advertisements by
being fully aware of their ugliness, baselessness, and inconsistency.

In fact, the post-truth claim is a simple fallacy because it presents itself

as an absolute truth. If there is such a truth as post-truth, then the
claim of post-truth is false because the existence of truth is admitted!
If the post-truth claim is not true, then there is no reason for us to
accept it as true?! The same fallacy applies to the moral relativism
approach: Is the claim that everything is relative also relative? If it
is relative, then we do not need to accept it; it only binds those who
adopt it. If it is not relative and true, then there is a non-relativistic
truth. In this case, the statement is self-contradictory.
Today, it is our duty to defend reality, right, and truth against the
post-truth movement: there is reality, there is truth, and wrong.
While the post-truth current emerged as an alternative to the es-
tablished ideologies and orthodoxies that collapsed one after the ot-
her in the West, it also turned, quite paradoxically, into yet another
strong and oppressive ideology that severely punishes those who ob-
ject or question it.

Understanding and believing in the autonomy of the individual

has alienated people from their religion, families, nature, and worst
of all, from each other and from themselves. This alienation also
undermined the foundation of self-knowledge (maʿrifat al-nafs), good
friendship, and brotherhood.

In the face of all these fluctuations and confusion, the morality of

futuwwah stands out like a lighthouse that has been illuminating the
path of youths for centuries. For an honorable and virtuous youth, it
is necessary to return to futuwwah morality and benefit from its light.
For this purpose, the first thing to do is to reconnect strongly with
Allah ‫ﷻ‬, with Prophet Muhammad ‫ﷺ‬, and with one another with
a faith based on love.

Our beloved Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬brought us the best of morals and presented

the best example of morality in the world by living and practicing
what he said and preached. Our duty is to follow his footsteps and to
apply his holy commands with love.
Let us conclude with the following poem by Mawlānā Jalāl al-Dīn
Rūmī, which captures the essence of futuwwah.

Be like the sun in compassion and mercy.

Be like the night in covering the faults.
Be like a running river in generosity.
Be like the dead in anger and in irritability.
Be like the earth in humility, in integrity.
Either appear as you are or be as you appear.

As we underlined at the beginning of the book: Our honor is faith;

our light is knowledge, our virtue is morality; our way is futuwwah.
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